Jungle
by TheLokiExperience
Summary: Millie Reynolds is a gifted young hacker whose talents catch the attention of the Cody matriarch, Smurf. She dives right into the criminal underbelly of Oceanside, California - leaving her roommate and the son of a cop, Alex Wilson, to consider where his loyalties lie. The problem with jumping into the deep end is that if you can't swim, you sink. Craig/OC; Deran/OC.
1. Born To Be Wild

**Chapter One: Born To Be Wild**

* * *

 **A/N: Hey! Welcome to our Animal Kingdom fanfic. The pairings for this are Craig/OFC and Deran/OMC, and a few minor romances here and there. This story is rated M because obviously due to the nature of the show, there will be a fair bit of swearing, drug references and sex scenes. But of course any chapters with a sex scene will be labelled "M"! Please let us know what you think :)**

* * *

Millie Reynolds knew that with three assignments and one exam at the end of the week, she should be studying. Instead she was in the kitchen whipping up a banana smoothie while Deran Cody sprawled across one of her couches with a beer. Fitting the plastic purple lid on the cup with a definitive click, Millie headed over to the couch, motioning for Deran to shift his feet as she sat down. The crunching of keys in the door made her check her phone for the time.

"Hey, Alex," Millie called as her roomie entered the apartment, raising his eyebrows as he realised she had company. Alex Wilson was what pretty much every girl in Oceanside would consider an absolute babe. He had curly brown hair, piercing blue eyes and a body to die for.

"The roomie, huh?" Deran slung an arm around Millie's shoulders. It looked casual and comfortable, so there were few who would be able to tell it was actually a very deliberate act.

"Hello." Alex shrugged off his jacket and dumped his bag on the bench. Tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, Millie noticed out of the corner of her eye that Deran was totally checking Alex out.

"Deran and I went to school together," Millie informed him. The Codys were pretty well known in Oceanside, but Millie and Deran had been friends since they were kids. She was also one of the few people who knew what Deran's secret, the one he refused to admit even to himself.

"Cute." Alex grabbed a beer, raking his hair back as he strode over to sit on the couch across from them. She'd known Alex for a while too – they'd been roomies since Millie had started at university. He was a couple of years older than her and at first she hadn't been sure about sharing an apartment with a guy, but they'd clicked instantly.

"So what do you do?" Deran asked, examining Alex.

"I'm an electrician," Alex responded. It was tough for him, balancing work as a tradie with being a single dad. Millie knew that was where Alex had gone – to drop little Amelie off at his mum's place. Although she loved the kid, it was nice to have a break every now and again.

"Right, I can see why you and Millie get on." Deran nudged the blonde. "You need to come over to a pool party sometime, Mills."

"Maybe." Millie considered her daunting workload, and the fact that she had two shifts at the game store this week. "I got study to do too."

"Fuck study." Deran finished his beer, setting the bottle down. "Alex can come too."

Alex arched an eyebrow. "I get an invite."

Deran shrugged. "Sure, you're Millie's roomie, she talks about you a lot. Plus we have a lot of hot friends."

Despite Deran's nonchalance, Millie knew why he was inviting Alex. He thought her roomie was hot and wanted to spend more time around him. She doubted he was going to admit to his sexuality to a guy he'd only just met if he wouldn't even own up to it with his family, yet Millie had matchmaking on the mind. Alex had been with men and women before, and she was going to suss out if he found Deran attractive.

"Well, I think I'm gonna go surf." Alex eased himself up from the couch, Deran's piercing blue gaze following him with avid curiosity. He was a surfer himself, so it made sense Alex's comment had piqued his interest.

"You surf?"

"From time to time," Alex called over his shoulder as he headed into his room. In his absence, Deran started playing with Millie's long blonde hair as she slurped at her smoothie. She was very much aware of what he was doing, but she wasn't about to stop him.

"Coming, Mills?"

"Sure." Millie brushed Deran's arm off her, getting to her feet. Her friend eased himself up off the couch and caught her by the waist, pulling him close against her and kissing her. She knew he was deliberately making a show of this in front of Alex.

"See you soon, yeah?"

He swaggered out of the apartment without a backward glance. Millie could feel Alex's gaze on her and turned to look at him, not surprised by the raised eyebrows. There was little about her Alex didn't know – living together for over three years meant they didn't really have secrets. Especially not when they'd had sex on multiple occasions over those three years.

"Didn't know you two were a thing."

"It's just casual, why?" Millie couldn't help but grin. "Are you gonna go all protective on me, Alex?"

He laughed. "You can handle him."

* * *

Millie slipped out of the front seat of Alex's car, shielding her eyes from the intensity of the sun before reaching into her handbag and sliding on her aviators. She inspected herself in the side-view mirror and had to admit that she looked pretty damn good. She'd bought the little navy blue bikini a few weeks before and had thought it looked absolutely killer. She headed into the backyard to hear the boys splashing around in the pool and offered them all a bright grin and a wave.

"Hey!"

"Hi, Millie," Craig called, busy dunking Deran underwater. Damn, he was hot, and exactly Millie's type. Six foot three and muscular, with shaggy brown hair and a beard. Pair that with tattoos and baby blue eyes and it was a winning combination. He was about five years older than her, and although she'd never interacted with him much, she'd always thought he was delicious. Too bad she was pretending she was screwing Deran.

Alex immediately pulled off his shirt and flopped down on one of the chairs, while Deran got out of the pool to come and greet them. He was dripping wet as he scooped Millie up, sitting down on a chair and popping her in his lap. It didn't escape Millie's attention that Alex had stretched out with a beer, something Deran had certainly noticed too. He was pressing kisses up and down her neck. He always wanted to get hot and heavy when he was turned on by another guy and pretending he wasn't.

"Get a room," Alex drawled.

"Deran, chill." Millie giggled and squirmed her way free of his grasp, taking off her sunnies and putting them back in her bag. "I'm going for a swim."

She slipped into the water, hoping that Alex and Deran would bond in her absence. Barry was in the pool as well and he offered Millie a friendly smile. Now that brother was definitely too old for her, and married with a kid in any case. She noticed Craig's eyes on her, or rather, on her boobs. Not that it was difficult – Millie had big boobs, and the bikini definitely showcased that fact.

"What's up?"

"Not much," he responded with a shrug.

She raised her eyebrows. "Are you staring at my tits?"

"You've got a nice rack," Craig responded, not even bothering to deny it. Millie hauled herself up onto one of the inflatable pool toys, shrieking when he took the opportunity to splash her. She tried to get comfortable on the flamingo pool toy but quickly gave up, sliding back into the water.

Craig caught her by the waist when she slipped back into the water. He started tickling her, making Millie bat at his hands, thoroughly annoyed. As good-looking as Craig was, he could sometimes be a massive pain in the ass. She narrowed her eyes at his smirk, tugging away from him.

"Don't tickle me. My bikini might come undone."

He laughed. "Like that's a bad thing."

Millie hauled herself out of the water, sitting on the ledge. She swirled her toes around in the water, shaking her head slowly at Craig's seedy comment. She knew what he was like with girls – he'd sleep with any woman he deemed hot, and according to Deran, he had a pretty impressive track record.

"Perv."

"You love the attention," he said.

She rolled her eyes. "If I wanted attention, I'd be inside fucking Deran."

"Right." Craig's sarcastic remark made her frown slightly. She could hear the doubt in his voice and wondered why that was. According to Deran, he hadn't told any of his family about his sexuality. Was it possible that Craig suspected? She wasn't going to pry, in case she gave him information that would upset Deran. He was one of her best friends and if he was sensitive about it, it wasn't her place to tell anyone.

* * *

"How long you two been living together?" Deran questioned Alex as he sat down beside him, sipping his beer. In the time her and Deran had been pretending to have a relationship, Deran had never heard her mention Alex being her roommate.

Alex shrugged, finishing the beer in his hand. "Few years. Why?"

"Curious, man." Deran told him, finishing his own beer.

Alex stretched out along the chair, glancing sideways at Deran as he felt the other mans eyes looking over him. He could tell he was being checked out, and he could tell Deran was also uncomfortable with being caught out. "Got anymore beer in the house?"

"Sure. Wanna come get some?" Deran asked, pushing his sunglasses on top of his head.

"Hell yeah." Alex grinned, getting to his feet. Deran got to his feet as well, leading Alex inside into the kitchen, opening the fridge as soon as he reached it. Alex watched as Deran searched through the fridge, finding a cold beer and throwing it across the room to him. "What's the deal with you and Millie?"

Deran glanced at him as he opened a new beer for himself, leaning against the bench. "We're sleeping together. Why?"

"Just never hear or see you two going at it." Alex chuckled, knowing just how loud Millie could be in bed. She was notorious for pissing off the neighbours, as well as the two of them breaking things.

"She isn't loud." Deran shrugged, sipping his beer.

Alex raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. Everything he was noticing about Deran definitely pointed him in the direction of believing that the other man was gay. "Then you're not doing it right. First time we had sex she was screaming."

"Wait, what? You and Millie? Aren't you gay?" Deran frowned. As far as he was aware, the other man had no interest in women. At least that's what he had assumed based on the small amount of information Millie had given him.

"Not exactly. I've got a kid and everything." Alex chuckled, taking a sip of his beer. "It's a nice place you got here."

"It's my mum's actually." Deran glanced around. His place definitely wasn't as lavish as this. He looked back at Alex, let his eyes wander over the other male's figure. Alex was definitely well built, and certainly not unattractive.

"Like something you see?" Alex smirked upon noticing how Deran was eyeing him off.

Deran looked away, suddenly finding his beer very interesting. "No."

"You can admit that you think I'm hot." Alex chuckled, sipping his own beer.

"I'm into girls." Deran argued, but Alex could see right through it, not that he was going to push the other man into admitting it though.

"Alright.' Alex sighed, raking a hand through his hair.

* * *

"Morning." Alex greeted Millie as she strode into the kitchen in her underwear. The two of them had grown so comfortable with each other, that they were accustomed to seeing each other wandering either naked or almost naked around the house.

"Hey. Did you have a nice time the other day?" She asked him as she poured herself some coffee, leaning against the bench.

Alex shrugged, finishing off cooking his eggs and throwing them on his plate. His usual breakfast contained four eggs and a tonne of baby spinach. Millie didn't know how he could stand to eat it every day. "Yeah it was good."

"You think Deran is hot, huh." She waggled her eyebrows at him, sipping her coffee.

"He is." He wasn't scared to admit that he found the other man attractive. He also wasn't scared to call her out on her bullshit relationship with him. "And you two are totally not a real thing.'

"What?" Millie frowned, setting her empty coffee mug in the sink.

Alex rolled her eyes at her attempt to feign ignorance at what he was saying. He wasn't stupid. "You heard me. There is no way you're together."

"Why do you think that?" She asked, sitting up on the bench as she picked up an apple.

"He is definitely not straight." He told her, wandering over to put his plate in the sink, having downed his food in a few large bites.

"What makes you say that?" She was curious now. She knew there was no point denying it further, simply based on the look Alex was currently giving her. He clearly knew that her and Deran weren't a real thing. She all but gave up denying it, letting out a heavy sigh. "What do you want me to say?"

"The truth." Alex thought what he wanted was pretty simple.

"Deran's gay. I'm one of the only people who knows, so I agreed to act like we were having sex." She bit into the apple, chewing slowly. She knew she was betraying her friends trust, but at the same time she knew she could trust Alex with the information.

"Ah. He's one of those guys." Alex nodded in understanding, as he had felt similar to Deran when he was first coming to terms with his sexuality. The difference between them seemed to be that Alex had learnt to embrace it rather than try and hide from it.

Millie frowned at the comment, not understand her friend's words. "One of what guys?"

"Doesn't wanna come out to anyone as gay." Alex explained as he flopped on the lounge, stretching out happily.

"But it complicates things a bit." Millie sat down on his legs, as he had left no other room for her.

Alex nodded in understanding, knowing exactly what she was referring to. "Means you can't date someone."

"Craig was checking me out." Millie grinned, leaning back against the lounge as she picked up her phone, scrolling through it.

"Go for it. I mean, he seems like an ass, but he's attractive." Alex always encouraged her to pursue the people she was interested in, as he knew he could beat them up if they upset her.

"He's hot, I bet he'd be a good lay. But he's gonna have to work for it." She winked at him, knowing exactly what Craig was like with women. She wasn't going to just be some cheap screw.

* * *

"So, what do you think of Alex?"

Millie was sprawled on a beanbag in Deran's room playing the latest Call of Duty game. She took care to keep her tone casual, knowing he was prone to getting defensive if he thought she was trying to make him come out about his sexuality. Millie kept her focus on the screen, smug to discover that she was kicking Deran's ass.

"Why?" Deran's tone was slightly suspicious. In high school, she'd attempted to get him to see other guys, but he'd been too embarrassed. Millie didn't understand it. She was sure his family would understand, and his sexuality didn't invalidate his masculinity, if that was what he was so concerned about.

"Do you think he's hot?" Millie persisted. Considering the fact that Alex was very much aware that Deran was gay, she thought a bit of matchmaking might be in order. Deran had an on-again off-again lover Adrian, but they hadn't spoken in ages, so she thought they might be permanently off this time.

"What does it matter? He thinks I'm with you."

Millie paused the game, peering over her shoulder. "He isn't stupid, Deran. He knows you're gay."

"What?" Deran's blue eyes widened, his tone becoming accusatory. "You tell him?"

"No, Deran." Millie raked a hand through her hair. "Fuck, calm down."

"Look, he is hot," Deran admitted, causing a wicked grin to curve the corners of Millie's lips. She knew that Alex thought Deran was pretty attractive and if there was a mutual interest…well this might go well for both of them. Deran was going to have to come out sooner or later, and there was only so long Millie would be able to pose as his fuck buddy.

"So you'd go there?" she persisted.

"Probably." Deran shrugged, drumming his fingers against his controller. "Why?"

"Talk to him," Millie said, wriggling out of the beanbag and flopping beside him on the bed. She and Deran had made out on several occasions, whether it had been before he'd accepted his sexuality, or in his attempts to prove he was straight. She didn't think about Deran like that. She just wanted to help him. "He's a good guy. Do you at least want his number?"

"I can always just come see you," Deran reminded her. It was always the excuse – when he'd been staying with Adrian, Millie had covered and claimed he was staying at hers. Deran was often graphic about the sex they supposedly had, but Alex had been able to tell he was lying. He'd said that Millie wasn't loud in bed, which was the opposite of the truth – Millie had always been a screamer.

"Why won't you just tell your family you're gay?" Millie asked, watching as Deran finished his beer.

"I just don't want to," Deran replied sharply, indicating that if she continued with this line of conversation he wasn't going to be very happy.

"So you pretend we're screwing." She sighed heavily. Of course, everyone knew the Codys, so everyone respected a girl they thought was with one of them. But eventually, Millie was bound to start dating. She couldn't pretend to be Deran's fuck buddy forever.

"Yep." He popped the 'p'.

Millie groaned and rolled onto her stomach. She knew that it was Deran's choice when he chose to come out, but she hated the fact that he was so bloody stubborn. Alex was openly bisexual and no one had ever cared or judged him for it. Who did Deran think was going to judge him for being gay?

* * *

Cameron Lawrence glanced at the door to the club as she heard it swing open. She was in the middle of cleaning glasses as the guy headed over to the bar. He wasn't overly tall, but he was well built, and attractive. "Sorry, the club is closed."

He walked over to where she stood behind the bar, sitting on the stool in front of her. She was fairly sure her words weren't an invitation. "I'm here to talk."

Cam raised an eyebrow, setting the glass down next to the other clean ones on the bar. "Then come back when we are open."

"I'm here to talk business." He told her, and she could tell her wasn't going to leave anytime soon. The bar had been dealing in illegal arms for a few years now, and she assumed that was the type of business he was looking for.

"What kind of business?" Cam leant against the bar, one of her hands moving under it to rest on the gun she concealed under there.

The leant forward, glancing over at the other people who were residing in the bar, clearly not wanting them to overhear. "I need some guns."

"What kind? Automatic, semi-automatic…" She quirked an eyebrow, letting her hand slip from her gun and clasping it with the other on the top of the bar.

"Semi." He told her, watching as she pulled out a book.

Cam glanced at him as she scribbled down his order in the book. She was sure the boys had what he wanted already. "Do I get to know your name first?"

"It's Barry." He answered, watching as she began to calculate the cost.

"I'm Cameron." She smiled at him, grabbing two glasses and setting them down. "So, what do you want?"

"Beer, please." Barry leant back on the stool, watching as she poured the beer and handed it to him, pouring herself a scotch. "Thanks."

Cam went back to the book, sipping her drink. Once she knew exactly how much he needed, "How many do you need?"

"Two. How much?" He asked, sipping his beer and pulling out his wallet.

Cam glanced down at her calculations before taking a quarter off the price, feeling rather generous considering the man in front of her was polite and attractive. "For you? One thousand. Got a place we can deliver them to? We don't keep them on the premises."

"Can I come and pick them up?" He asked, finishing his beer.

Cam hesitated for a moment. In order for him to pick them up, she'd need to give him her address and she didn't know if she trusted the stranger that much, but she couldn't give them to him from the bar. "Alright."

"From here, or someplace else?" Cam wrote down an address for him as she asked the question, sliding the piece of paper across to him.

"Tomorrow morning at 6." She told him before taking his empty glass. "Don't be late, Barry."


	2. Get Your Party On (M)

**Chapter Two: Get Your Party On**

* * *

 **A/N: Whoa! Thank you so so much to everyone who's reviewed, favourited and followed. We never expected the first chapter would go so well, hopefully you like this one just as much. It's rated M for sexual activity, which you can also expect for some future chapters ;) Please let us know what you think!**

* * *

There was nothing like a good surf to wake Millie up in the morning. It was only a few minutes walk from their apartment to the beach. The sand between her toes and the taste of sea salt on her tongue made her feel alive. Unfortunately, today she had to keep an eye on the time. She headed back up the beach where Alex was flopped with their stuff. His surf session definitely hadn't been as long as hers.

"Millie." Craig was strolling across the sand toward her, a board tucked under one arm. Judging by how dry he looked, he'd probably just arrived. Millie raked a hand through her drenched blonde hair.

"Hey, Craig."

"Good surf?" he asked.

"Yeah." Millie nodded emphatically, casting her eyes back at the ocean for a few moments. She wished she could spend more time in the water, but unfortunately, she had other commitments. She turned back to face Craig. "How's things?"

"Things are good." Craig's eyed raked over her body, causing Millie to raise her eyebrows. She was used to guys checking her out openly and she shouldn't be surprised at it coming from Craig – but he was under the impression that she was screwing Deran.

"See something you want?"

"Yeah." He smirked. "You."

"You want me, huh?" Millie propped her board against her hip. "Even though I'm with Deran?"

Craig laughed. "I really don't feel like you guys are having sex. You don't seem like his type."

"Maybe I am," Millie challenged. She didn't know if Craig was aware of Deran's sexuality, or just meant that Deran wouldn't like girls as open about their sex lives as her. Before Craig could respond, Millie's board was yanked from her and she was picked up and hoisted over Alex's shoulders. She shrieked and squirmed.

"You have work in an hour," he said.

Millie groaned. "Don't remind me…"

"Exactly why we need to get you clean." Alex glanced at Craig. "Hey, man."

"You gonna clean me, Alex?" Millie asked cheekily. She and Alex had a playful relationship and so such banter was perfectly normal between the two of them. They'd slept together enough times that they were very comfortable around each other.

"No."

Millie feigned a pout. "Aw, babe, why not?"

"I'd only make you dirtier." He smirked, causing Craig to shake his head at the pair of them. Millie couldn't help but roll her eyes at his attitude. Alex set Millie down and she picked her board up again, slipping her feet back into her thongs.

"Seeya, Craig."

"You should come over soon," Craig called as the two headed back up the beach. Millie turned and threw him a mischievous grin over her shoulder. She couldn't help but flirt with Craig, even if she knew it would jeopardise her fake relationship with Deran.

"I'm sure I will."

* * *

Cameron glanced at the clock as she continued to wait for pot of coffee that was brewing. It was close to the time she had asked the man after the weapons to come around at. She sighed heavily as she pulled a mug from the cupboard, pouring herself some coffee and relishing in the warmth the cup provided against her hands. She hated waiting around for people, not that he was late, she had just been awaiting his arrival since she had woken up that morning. She glanced at the door when she heard a sharp tap, placing her mug on the bench and walking over, swinging the door open.

"Come in."

"Hey." He smiled, following her into the small house.

She glanced over her shoulder at him, making her way back into the kitchen. "Want some coffee?"

"Sure." He nodded, watching as she poured him a mug full of the dark brown liquid, handing it to him. "Thanks."

"Guns are on the table." She told him, watching as he moved over to them. As he examined the guns, she examined him. He definitely wasn't unattractive, and he had a somewhat demanding presence. She wondered exactly what he wanted the guns for, but that wasn't a question she had the right to ask. He raised his eyebrows at her as he noticed her watching him. "Yes?"

"Are you checking me out?" He grinned at her, leaning against the table.

"You've got a nice ass." Cam shrugged. She was over the days of being embarrassed when someone caught her staring at them. "Does it bother you?"

"No, not really." He answered, finishing his coffee.

Cam finished her own coffee, grabbing his mug and placing them both in the sink. She'd deal with the dishes later on. "Good."

"Thanks for this." He told her as he put the guns in the bag he had brought with him.

"I can get you whatever weapons you need, just let me know." She informed him as she leant against the kitchen bench.

He nodded, raking a hand through his hair and glancing at the time. "Anyway. I should go. Thanks, Cameron."

"You can call me Cam." Cam smiled, leading him over to the door.

He followed her over, moving past her to stand in the doorway for a moment, unlocking his car. "You can call me Baz."

"I'll see you round, Baz." She watched as he headed down and chucked the guns in the passenger seat before hopping in the car himself.

* * *

House parties at Alex and Millie's apartment were a common occurrence, on weeks when Alex didn't have his daughter and Millie didn't have a huge workload. It just so happened to be one such weekend, and around fifty or so people had rocked up for Millie's jelly shots and Alex's good taste in rock music. Millie flitted around in shorts and a singlet that left very little to the imagination, wondering if she was going to get some action tonight. She took a sip of her beer as she headed into the kitchen, whirling around when someone slapped her ass.

"Craig!" She chastised as the dark-haired man smirked in her direction. He was leaning against the bench, eyes raking over her body.

"Hey."

"You having fun yet?" Millie asked, knowing full well that Craig had slapped her ass to get her attention. She hadn't seen Deran too much tonight, and hoped that he'd taken her advice and actually planned to talk to Alex.

He shrugged. "I could be having more."

She raised her eyebrows. "Beer? Drugs?"

"You," Craig stated. Well, she had to give it to him – he was definitely blunt about what he wanted. Although she'd love to bang Craig, she knew what he was like and didn't particularly want to be another notch on his bedpost. But there was absolutely no harm in letting him have a taste and seeing if he'd work for it. She bit her lip, tilting her head to the side.

"I dunno. What if you can't satisfy me?"

"I'm sure I can." A cocky smile plastered itself across Craig's lips. Tipping him a wink, Millie sauntered off toward her bedroom, unable to suppress her own smirk. She'd known Craig for years now, not that they interacted a whole heap, but she had him right where she wanted him now. Craig Cody, eating out of the palm of her hand. If she got her way, that wasn't all he'd be eating.

Millie clicked the door closed when she and Craig entered her room, and he wasted no time in pinning her to the door and kissing her passionately. Usually Millie didn't play games with guys, but Craig was different. She didn't know what made it that way, why she wanted to toy with him before she'd have sex with him. He picked her up, slipping one hand under her ass to keep her pressed against him. She wrapped her legs around his waist as his free hand groped at her boobs.

A soft moan escaped her as Craig kissed her neck, keeping her firmly pressed against the door. He drew back after a moment, tugging his shirt over his head. Although she'd seen him shirtless before, Millie made a point of checking him out.

"Damn."

Craig tossed her onto the bed and Millie sat up, pulling her singlet over her head and drawing his attention her best assets. He crawled on top of her, reaching behind her to unclasp her bra. Millie shrugged it off, grinding her hips against Craig's. He couldn't help but groan, as guys usually did when you rubbed up against their erection. He lowered his head to her boobs, his tongue teasing her nipples and making her arch her back and moan loudly.

Millie ran her nails down Craig's back as his lips trailed lower still, down her stomach. The feeling of his lightly brushing against hers made her gasp, fisting a hand in his dark hair as he pulled her shorts and undies down her legs in one movement. Deciding it was time to toy with him, Millie acted like she was about to sit up.

"I should deal with the shots."

"I don't think you want to just yet." Craig slipped a finger into her, smirking when her head fell back. He added another finger and pumped them back and forth, making her squirm in pleasure. He spread her legs further apart, before withdrawing his fingers and replacing them with his tongue.

"Fuck…" Millie hissed through her teeth, fisting a hand in the sheets. It wasn't all the time that she had a guy so readily go down on her, so she was definitely intending to let him have his fun here. She fisted her other hand in his hair as his tongue continued to work its magic, every movement making her writhe against the pillows. Her moans increased in volume, hips bucking uncontrollably as Craig's tongue drew her ever closer to her climax. After a few more strokes of his tongue, she came undone with a loud moan.

Her chest was heaving and she was panting as Craig crawled on top of her, tugging at his pants. It was clear that he assumed they were going to be having sex now. Millie brushed him off, earning a quizzical look from him as she grabbed her clothes.

"I don't think so."

"Millie!" Craig exclaimed as he watched her pulling on her clothes. She glanced back at him and couldn't help but smile sweetly at the prominent bulge in his pants. "You're a fucking bitch."

"Thanks for going down on me." She blew him a kiss as she departed her bedroom. "It was pretty great."

* * *

Alex poured the vodka into the shot glasses as he bopped along to the rhythm of the music that they had blaring through the house. He grabbed the two shot glasses before making his way over to Deran, shoving one in his hand.

"Drink up."

Deran raised an eyebrow but opted to say nothing as the two of them downed their shot each.

"How you been, man?"

"Pretty good. Working hard." Alex shrugged, throwing his shot glass on the table and grabbing a beer.

"Yeah, I bet." Deran sipped the beer that was handed to him, raking his eyes over Alex's figure. Alex raised an eyebrow when he noticed the other male staring at him, but chose to say nothing. "So, how old's your kid?"

"She's nearly three." Alex smiled, leaning against the bench.

"That's cute. So Millie would've been what, nineteen?" Deran asked, trying to do the math in his head.

Alex chuckled at the comment, shaking his head. It was more common than not for people to assume that his kid was Millie's as well.

"She's not Millie's. Her mother isn't in the picture."

"Oh. Sorry, man. I just kind of assumed Millie was the mum." Deran backtracked, hoping that the comment didn't upset Alex at all. He wanted to get to know the guy better, not cause him to dislike him.

"It's all good." Alex assured him, handing him another shot. The two of them downed the shot before Alex glanced down at his phone, feeling it buzz in his pocket. It was alerting him that he had notification on one of the games he played, but prompted him to realise it was also almost dead.

"Got somewhere to be?" Deran noticed that Alex was clearly distracted by his phone.

"Nah, phone's just dying." Alex shook his head before heading towards his room. He chucked his phone on the charger beside his bed, glancing back at Deran who was standing in the doorway. "You can come in."

"Millie said that...you knew about me." Deran raked his hair back. He wasn't sure how to approach the situation, and Millie had offered him little to no good advice on the matter. "How?"

"I'm not stupid." Alex slipped past him, shutting the door. He figured it was probably a conversation best had with the door closed.

"So then how could you tell?" Deran repeated the question, watching as Alex pressed him against the door.

"Because of how you spoke about her." Alex grinned at him, shifting so his lips were close to Deran's. He didn't want to make the first move, but he sure as hell would tease the other male into it. "You said she was quiet in bed."

Deran made the first move, pressing his lips against Alex's, who was quick to respond. Deran spun them around, pressing Alex against the door, but Alex wasn't in the mood to be dominated. He gripped the other's mans shoulders before shoving him back onto the bed, climbing on top of him and pinning him down before pressing his lips against his hard. Deran attempted to flip them again, but Alex managed to get his arms above his head as he trailed open mouthed kisses along his neck, drawing a groan from the male beneath him.

Deran ran his hands down Alex's back before gripping the edge of his shirt and tugging it over his head. Alex then helped Deran out of his shirt before he set about undoing his belt. Deran tried to flip them again, yelping when his plan backfired as Alex shifted, moving Deran onto his stomach and pinning his arms above his head again.

Alex scowled when he heard a knock on the door, his grip on Deran loosening enough for the other man to push him off. "What?"

"Guess what I just did?" Millie called through the door, and Alex could imagine the grin that was on her face.

"Fuck off, Millie." Deran snarled, grabbing his shirt off of the floor as she opened the door.

"Craig's pretty pissed at me, but I got good head." She announced, winking at the two of them.

Alex rolled his eyes, tugging his own shirt on and fixing his belt. "You ruined my night."

"Oh my god, you can just go back and bang him. Chill." Millie sighed dramatically, scowling when he ruffled her hair. "I'm gonna get shots. Want one?"

"Okay." Deran got to his feet, making sure his clothes and hair were fixed. He needed alcohol right now.

* * *

Millie hated closing shifts with a passion. While she loved her job, she didn't like working the late night shifts. The hours seemed to drag, and she was always relieved when she finally got home and popped a pile of new games on the kitchen bench. She could hear snoring, and she glanced over at the couch to realise that Alex had fallen asleep there. Millie picked up a blanket and tossed it over him, unable to help but play the mother hen. Alex shifted and yawned, rubbing his eyes.

"Hey."

"Got you some new games." Millie indicated the small stack on the kitchen bench. Alex eased himself up from the couch, kicking off the blanket. He seemed instantly alert despite the fact that he'd just woken up.

"How was work?"

Millie shrugged. "Tiring."

"There's food in the fridge," Alex stated, which didn't exactly surprise Millie – he was the more avid cook out of the pair of them, and he usually had something prepared when she was home late.

"I'll get some soon." Millie set her bag down on the bench. "You do have an actual bed, you know."

"I was watching TV," Alex protested. Millie knew that was what he usually did winding down from a hard day's work.

"Not banging Deran tonight?" She smirked. "Shocking."

"Shut up." He returned her grin, shaking his head. "Where's your new squeeze?"

"Sulking because I didn't fuck him at our party." Millie couldn't help but feel smug. She didn't usually toy with guys, but she was pleased about how things had gone with Craig. At least she knew that he was willing to go down on a girl. "Men suck."

"I know they do," Alex said, raising his eyebrows when Millie happily flopped onto his lap. "Yes?"

"I've just been socialising with teen dorks for the past few hours." She rubbed her temples like she had a headache. "I need to socialise with a normal human."

"Okay." Alex nodded thoughtfully, examining the games stacked neatly on the rack beside the TV. "We could play Destiny?"

Millie was all too eager to pick up her bright blue controller, offering Alex a wicked grin before resting her head on his shoulder. She'd thought about what a relationship with him might be like, but she knew she was only considering out of convenience. Alex was a great guy and an amazing lay, but Millie didn't think she could actually have a relationship with him. A friendship complete with late-night gaming though? Now that she could do.


	3. Bedroom Hymns (M)

**Chapter Three: Bedroom Hymns**

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone, here's the fortnightly update ;) Thank you so much to those who have favourited, followed and reviewed. It means a lot to us!**

* * *

Millie sauntered over to the boys the minute she stepped foot into the bar. She grinned at them all as she sat down in Craig's lap, tugging the hem of her short blue dress down. "Hey boys."

"Millie." Baz was the first to greet her properly, having a sip of his beer as he glanced from her to the bar.

Baz watched as Cameron made her way over to the table they were at, a tray of shots in her hand. She placed them on the centre of the table, winking at him as she did so. "Shots on the house."

"Ooh, nice." Millie grinned as she grabbed one for herself and Craig, glancing at Alex as he sat down beside Craig, shooting a glance at Deran.

Baz glanced at Millie and Alex after downing his shot, leaning forward to rest his arms on his elbows. "I hear you guys had a party."

"Yeah, house party." Millie confirmed, placing her empty shot glass on the table.

Alex leant back in his chair as he downed his shot, taking the beer that Craig handed to him. "It was pretty fun."

"It was alright. I've been to better." Craig shrugged, raking a hand through his hair and resting the other on Millie's thigh.

"Yeah, Craig didn't have such a good night." Millie laughed at his comment, knowing exactly why he didn't have as good a night as she did. "Alex and I are probably gonna hit the beach tomorrow morning. You wanna come, Deran?"

"Sure." Deran shrugged, watching Alex from the corner of his eye as Alex began to check out the girls around the bar.

Craig ignored Millie as she pushed his hand off her leg, flicking her hair over her shoulder. He let out a heavy sigh before glancing at Baz, raising an eyebrow as he followed his gaze to the bar. "Who's she, Baz?"

Baz glanced at him, having another sip of his beer. "Who's who?"

"The chick you're eyeing off." Craig grinned before allowing his eyes to roam up and down the woman's figure.

"Just a woman who works here." Baz shrugged as he finished his beer.

"She's got nice legs." Craig commented, winking at Baz. She was hot, but he was happy with the woman he was currently sitting in his lap. That didn't mean he couldn't tease Baz about the fact that he looked like he wanted to bang the bartender.

"You gonna try and hit that?" Baz chuckled, knowing exactly what Craig was like with women.

Craig shook his head, tracing patterns on Millie's thigh as she spoke to Alex, with Craig knowing she had chosen to ignore his and Baz's conversation most likely out of lack of interest. "Nah, got my eyes on someone else."

"You? Got your eyes on one girl?" Baz almost couldn't believe what he was hearing come out of Craig's mouth. They all knew exactly what he was like.

"Sure do." Craig told him before turning his attention back to Deran as Millie went off with Alex.

Baz took that as his cue to go and get another beer. He got to his feet, making his way over to the bar and leaning against it, watching as Cameron downed a shot. She glanced at him before pouring another and handing it to him. He took it without question, raising an eyebrow at her. She looked pissed, and he had no doubt it was because of the drunken assholes that seemed to be hanging around the bar.

"Another beer?" She asked, grabbing the empty shot glass.

"Sure." Baz nodded, watching as she grabbed him one, putting it down on the bench in front of him. "Thanks."

Cam smiled at him, wiping down the bench beside him that was covered in alcohol. "You're welcome."

"Not having a good night?" He asked, taking a sip of his beer.

Cam shrugged, leaning against the bar parallel to him, pushing her hair out of her face. "Some men don't like being told no."

He raised an eyebrow at the comment, wondering exactly what kind of trouble she had been dealing with for most of the evening. "What do you mean?"

"You tell them no more booze and they get pissed." She sighed heavily, beginning to clean some of the glasses that were piling up beside her. "They good friends of yours? The guys you're with."

"They're my brothers." He answered, not really classifying Alex and Millie to be his good friends. He didn't know them that well if he was being honest, but they seemed harmless enough, with Millie having managed to wrap Craig around her finger.

"Cute." Cam grinned at him, stacking away the glasses as she dried them.

"Yeah, that's one word for it." He chuckled as he sipped at his beer, glancing back at his dysfunctional little family, well, the part of it that was with him at this moment.

* * *

"Mills, wanna go get a lap dance?" Alex asked, causing the blonde to glance at him with a mischievous grin.

"Sure."

She got up and followed him across the bar. Craig's eyes raked over her body. He'd met a lot of hot women in his life, but there was just something about Millie. She had amazing legs, not to mention a nice ass and big boobs balanced out by a small waist. The amount of times he'd thought about those legs wrapped around him while they…

"Got the hots for Millie, huh?" Deran snickered from the chair beside him, drawing Craig out of his very R-rated thoughts. He shrugged, seeing no point in denying something so obvious.

"Yeah. Why?"

Deran raised his eyebrows. "Gonna hit that?"

"If you don't care," Craig stated. He'd suspected for a while now that there was actually nothing going on between Deran and Millie, but he wouldn't insult his younger brother by going behind his back.

"Go ahead, man." Deran took a sip of his drink. "You fuck another chick when she didn't give you any?"

"Nah." Craig shook his head, not really understanding it himself. Usually if he was rejected – not that it happened all that often – he just went and got some from another girl. So he was puzzled as to why he hadn't done just that after Millie had laughed him off. "I like the challenge."

He watched his younger brother as Deran watched Alex across the room. Deran's jaw was clenched and his fingers were tightening around his glass. It was pretty obvious that he had the hots for the other man, even if he wouldn't even admit it to himself. He couldn't help but smirk.

"You seem pissed."

Alex was whispering something in Millie's ear, making her laugh, before he leaned across and kissed her. Deran looked about ready to throw something, but Craig was less irritated by it. He knew that they were both flirts and had no serious interest in each other. After a few moments the pair headed back over and Craig caught Millie by the waist, tugging her down into his lap. Deran folded his arms and deliberately ignored Alex.

"I love this dress," Craig remarked. It was really more like he loved what the dress showed off. She glanced over her shoulder at him, raising her eyebrows.

"What do you like about it?"

"Makes your ass look good," he said, ignoring Deran's eye-roll. Damn, he wanted her. Yet he wasn't sure if she would reject him or laugh at him if he pulled the moves on her.

"It's a bit short," Millie said, stretching out so that the dress rode even further up her legs. Craig's hand rested on her thigh, tracing patterns there. She shifted around in his lap and he fought the urge to groan. He knew that she was teasing him. Alex and Deran were pretty quick to leave the table once they realised things were getting heated between the pair, and for that Craig was grateful.

"Better watch your hands," Millie warned.

"You seemed to enjoy them the other night," he reminded her.

"They were a bit higher then," she said with a wicked smile. Craig pressed hot kisses down her neck, his hands disappearing under her dress. However he still had enough sense left to realise that this probably wasn't the place. Easing her up, he took her hand and led her outside to his motorbike. He was hoping this wasn't the part where he faced crushing rejection.

"Yours or mine?" he asked, offering her his spare helmet. Millie examined it, seeming to consider for a moment, before she took the helmet and yanked it down firmly over her head.

"Yours."

Craig started the bike up, feeling satisfied at knowing he was going to get exactly what he wanted. Millie slipped on behind him, putting her arms around his waist and holding on tight as they roared off back toward Smurf's place. Of course Craig had his own place, but Smurf's was closer. When they pulled up outside, he was all too quick to lead her inside and into his bedroom. It was pretty clear to both of them why they were there.

Craig pressed her against the door, kissing her passionately. Millie responded with enthusiasm and he picked her up, sucking at the tender skin of her neck as she moaned. The feeling of her thighs tightening around his waist was driving him crazy. He reached for that absurdly tiny dress of hers and yanked it down, raking his eyes over her body.

"Do you wanna fuck me, Craig?" she asked, like it wasn't totally obvious.

He swallowed hard. "Yeah, I do."

"How bad?" She challenged, and he had the feeling that she wasn't going to make this easy. "I don't want to be your flavour of the week."

"You aren't." Craig tossed her onto the bed, tugging her dress off completely. He climbed on top of her and kissed down her stomach, making her writhe beneath him. She reached up to pull his shirt over his head, fingers traversing the muscles of his body. Craig had a high sex drive, but this girl did things to him he didn't even think was possible. He pressed his erection against her, hands roaming up her body to grope at her boobs. Millie gasped softly, rocking her hips against his in a way that made him groan deeply.

Craig slipped her lacy panties down her legs, with Millie lifting her hips to let him. Her eyes were dark with lust as she reached down to undo his pants, pushing them down. Her gaze rested on his cock and he couldn't help but smirk, pushing her back against the pillows. He fumbled around on his bedside table until he found a condom. Ripping it open with his teeth, he slipped it on and manoeuvred himself between her legs. Millie slipped a hand between them to guide him, moaning softly when he pushed into her.

Craig sucked in a deep breath, resisting the temptation to fuck her senseless. She felt amazing beneath him. He kissed her neck as he rocked his hips, beginning to move against her. Millie dug her nails into his shoulders, rolling her hips to meet his thrusts. He pumped into her faster, gripping her hips tightly and burying his face in her neck as her nails raked down his back. He was going to have some serious marks tomorrow, but he didn't even care.

Millie rolled so that she flipped them, so that Craig was pressed back against the pillows and she was on top of him. He had to admit, it was pretty fucking hot. She gripped the headboard and started to ride him, her boobs bouncing as she rocked up and down. He palmed at her boobs as she fisted a hand in his hair, moaning loudly. Craig shifted a hand between her legs, but Millie caught his hands and pinned them above his head. He raised his eyebrows in an unspoken question. The blonde responded by teasing him, the rhythm of her hips moving becoming slower.

"Scared to get a bit rough?" she asked breathlessly.

He shook his head. "No."

"Then go ahead."

Never one to back down from a challenge, Craig flipped them so that she was beneath him again. He spread her legs further apart and moved deeper, making her arch up and moan. Although initially worried that using more of his strength would hurt her, it was quickly becoming clear that getting rough turned her on. Craig pumped into her harder and faster, very much enjoying her cries of pleasure. He gripped the headboard and pounded into her roughly, and it didn't take long for Millie's entire body to shudder, a moan escaping her as she climaxed. Craig followed soon after with a loud groan, collapsing on top of her momentarily before rolling off.

For a few moments, the only sound was heavy panting as they both tried to catch their breaths. Craig glanced across at Millie, whose chest rose and fell with each breath. Her body was covered in a light sheen of sweat and she was looking pretty pleased with herself.

"Fuck." She sat up and reached for her panties.

Craig leaned on his elbow. "Why don't you stay?"

She glanced at him, surprised. "Is that what you want?"

"Sure." Craig had girls staying over all the time, Smurf never cared. He just really hoped Smurf didn't mistake her for another of Craig's one-night stands, because he had the feeling that wouldn't go down too well with Millie.

* * *

"What the hell was all that about?" Deran stalked after Alex as he walked out of the bar. Alex fished in his pockets for the car keys, unlocking it and moving to the driver side door, glancing at Deran as he tugged open the passenger side door.

"What was what?" Alex raised an eyebrow as he got in the driver side, starting the car up.

Deran glared at him, leaning back in his seat and raking a hand through his hair. "You know goddamn well what."

"I really don't." Alex shook his head as he put his foot down, no caring about how fast he was going as he sped back to his place.

"Hooking up with Millie? Seriously?" Deran all but shouted at him. Alex didn't see exactly why he was so worked up about it. He assumed that Deran would've known about his and Millie's history considering they were such good friends.

"All we did was kiss." Alex rolled his eyes, getting out of the car as the reached the apartment block. Deran followed after him in a huff as he walked through his front door.

Deran slammed the door shut behind them. "You did it deliberately. To show off."

"I still don't know what you mean." Alex chuckled, throwing his keys on the bench and tugging his jacket off. He was about to throw it on the couch when Deran grabbed him from behind, slamming him into the wall. Alex winced only slightly as the wind was knocked from him.

"You're trying to make me jealous." Deran snarled in his face, letting Alex go, but blocking his path.

Alex let out a heavy sigh. He knew exactly what he had been doing, and he'd gotten the exact reaction that he had wanted out of Deran. He just didn't want to admit that to the other man. "Why would I do that?"

"Good question." Deran hadn't thought on a reason as to why Alex would've been acting the way he was, it was true. The other man attempted to step around him, but Deran was quick to move, shoving him back against the wall and kissing him hard. Deran ran his hands down Alex's chest, raising an eyebrow when he felt him grip his wrists tightly.

"Not tonight." Alex told him, pushing him away and stepping around him.

Deran threw up his hands in frustration, following Alex into his room. "What?"

"No sex tonight." Alex announced as he tugged his shirt off, tugging the hair tie out of his hair.

"Why not?" Deran questioned. He hadn't appreciated Alex teasing him all night to them just turn around and say no.

"I'm tired." Alex kissed his cheek. He had been working all day and was ready to just sleep. He had tomorrow off and was looking forward to a nice sleep in.

Deran grabbed his arm as he walked past him. "What the fuck, Alex?"

Alex glanced down at Deran's hand on his arm before looking down at the other male, a smirk plastered to his face. "Gonna throw me against the wall again?"

"Maybe I will. Bet you'd like that." Deran smirked back, pulling Alex closer to him.

"I'd win." Alex winked, prompting Deran to scoff at his words. "I did last time. Had you on your hands and knees. And you loved every second of it."

Deran pulled Alex against him hard, clashing their mouths together again. The notion of no sex seemed to slip Alex's mind as the two males battled for dominance. Alex was definitely the strongest, and both of them knew it, but Deran wasn't the type to not fight. He let Deran push him down onto his bed, allowing Alex to comfortably tug his pants off, with Deran shedding his own clothes. As soon as Deran was on the bed with him, Alex had the other man pinned beneath him, a grin on his face.

"Nice try." Alex chuckled, kissing down Deran's neck.

Deran groaned, letting his head fall back. "What are you doing?"

"I thought we established that I'm on top." Alex smirked against his neck, knowing the exact expression that was on the other man's face. He could picture the scowl he wore without even looking up from where he was attacking his neck. "When you can beat me, then you can be on top."

Alex flipped him onto his stomach, kissing down his back. It had been a while since he'd been with another guy, mainly because whenever he was horny he and Millie took out their sexual frustrations together. Alex fisted a hand in Deran's hair as Deran pushed back against him, clearly keen to be having sex with him. Alex couldn't help but smirk to himself. He considered himself to be irresistible, and this right now was proving it.

* * *

Millie woke to someone gently shaking her. At first she assumed it was Alex, before she remembered she'd stay over at Craig's. Or rather, Craig's mum's place. She stretched out, feeling the familiar aches of the aftermath of rough sex. She glanced at the man in bed beside her.

"Food," he declared.

"You got a shirt?" Millie asked, rubbing her eyes. She was naked aside from her lace panties, and so she happily pulled on the grey t-shirt that Craig tossed her. Her mind kept going back to the night before. She didn't regret the sex in the slightest, but she was definitely thinking about what was going to happen now. She followed Craig into the kitchen where a blonde woman she vaguely recognised was making pancakes.

"Morning." Craig kissed her cheek. Smurf, that was what everyone called her. Millie didn't know why, but who was she to argue? The woman examined her with a wry smile.

"Who's this, baby?" The woman's voice was hoarse and deep. She sounded like she'd been chain-smoking for years.

"This is Millie."

"Oh, that's right." Smurf nodded. "You're a friend of Deran's from high school."

"Yeah, I am." Millie was a bit surprised that Smurf remembered her. Sure, she was around from time to time – but she would bet money that girls flitted in and out of this place constantly. The fact that Smurf knew who she was impressed her. She thanked her when she was handed a plate with pancakes smothered in maple syrup, sitting down beside Craig at the table.

"By the way, J is coming to live with us." The words were directed at Craig. "You remember your nephew, don't you, honey?"

Craig shrugged his shoulders. "Vaguely. Why? What happened?"

"Julia overdosed." Smurf heaved a sigh. "She's dead."

Millie munched on her pancakes, feeling a little awkward and unable to contribute anything to the conversation. All she knew was that Julia was Deran and Craig's older sister. Millie hadn't known that she had a kid, but it shouldn't have surprised her. Sometimes, she marvelled at the fact that Craig didn't have any little demon spawn running around.

"Do the others know?" Craig asked.

Smurf shook her head. "Not yet."

"Umm, I should go," Millie murmured. She didn't think it was really appropriate for to be there if they were discussing the death of a family member. She was pretty sure that despite Craig's claims the previous night, she was just another one-night stand. Maybe a fuck buddy if she was pushing it, but definitely nothing serious.

"Need a ride home?" Craig asked.

"It's cool, I can get Alex to pick me up." Millie put her plate in the dishwasher and headed back to Craig's room to grab her phone and text her roomie. She was a bit conflicted about her feelings regarding what had happened. Was Craig going to ignore her now that he'd gotten what he wanted, or would he be back for more? Millie wasn't even sure what she wanted anymore, but being seen as a hot lay – although it was a common occurrence – wasn't it. She hadn't really had a relationship before, and she didn't even think Craig would go for that, but her mind was definitely on it. It'd be nice to actually go steady with someone instead of just being the cute blonde hacker who was wild in bed.

* * *

"Sit." Alex ordered Deran as he heard him walk out of his room. He glanced over to see the other man dump his bag and scowl at him.

"Are you trying to put me in pain?" Deran questioned, clearly displeased at the thought of having sit down after the events of the previous night.

Alex couldn't help but smirk at the comment, walking over and handing him a coffee before sipping at his own and turning back to the food. "Told you so."

"Dick." Deran mumbled into the coffee as he sipped the hot liquid. The caffeine was definitely needed after the night he had had.

"I made food." Alex told him as Deran attempted to sit down in a comfortable position.

Deran raked a hand through his hair, leaning back in the chair as he finally found a comfortable way to sit. "What'd you make?"

"Bacon and eggs.' Alex answered as he began to plate up their food, walking over and dumping a plate in front of Deran. "Need some ice for your ass?"

"Sure." Deran nodded, catching the pack that Alex threw at his head. "Thanks. So, no Millie?"

"No, she obviously went home with Craig." Alex rolled his eyes, flopping down in a chair and begging to shovel the food into his face.

"Didn't think she'd fuck him." Deran raised an eyebrow before starting to eat his own food. He watched as Alex finished his last mouthful and began to start cleaning up. It amused him somewhat that Alex was so domesticated. "Need help?"

"Nah, almost done." Alex smiled, wiping the dishwater off his hands as he finished washing his plate.

Deran got to his feet, putting his plate in the sink. "I should head home."

"Alright.' Alex crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the bench.

Deran grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "See you around."

"Text me." Alex called after him, letting out a heavy sigh. He wasn't sure how to feel. He liked Deran, but he also didn't want to feel like he was being used for anything.

* * *

Millie peered out of her room when she heard Alex get back from work. She'd thrown on the TV for Amelie so the kid had something to watch while Millie studied, but the little girl was thrilled when she saw Alex heading in the door. She abandoned her toys and ran over to him.

"Daddy!"

"Hey, sweetheart." Alex reached down to scoop her up, kissing her cheek. He wasn't the sort of guy most would pick as a parent, but he was a very affectionate dad. Millie leaned in the doorway, raising her eyebrows.

"So. You and Deran."

"Yeah." Alex shrugged. "He stayed the night when you were at Craig's."

Millie winked. "Did you do the deed?"

Alex smirked. "He couldn't walk."

"Cake," Amelie insisted, playing with Alex's hair and turning his attention to her.

"Dinner first."

"Ami, if you have your dinner you can have some of Auntie Millie's sour worms," Millie said, knowing how much the kid loved lollies. "Sound good?"

Amelie's expression brightened. "Okay."

"You and Craig do the deed?" Alex asked.

"Yep." Millie couldn't help her satisfied smile, even if she didn't know where things were going to go now. "Damn, he's good."

"I bet I'm better," Alex stated, putting Amelie down. The remark made Millie roll her eyes. What was it with men and always wanting to be the alpha male? She shook her head slowly, heading into the kitchen.

"Actually, no." Millie grabbed a handful of cookies from her jar. "Sorry."

"Not until after dinner," Alex chastised, causing the blonde to scowl.

"Hey, they're for me."

"I meant you too." He indicated the jar. "Set an example."

Sometimes, Millie couldn't help but feel like Alex tried to play dad with her as well. Which didn't work since they were only three years apart in age. She poked her tongue out, refusing to relinquish her snacks.

"Study food, Alex."

"Have an apple," he suggested.

Millie heaved a sigh, placing the cookies back in the jar before helping herself to a red apple in the fruit bowl. She raised it to her lips and took a bite, narrowing her eyes at Alex. Typical of him to try and stop her from having anything even remotely unhealthy.

"Happy?" When he didn't complain, Millie tossed the apple in the air and caught it again. "I've decided we should have a beach bonfire party."

It wouldn't be the first time. Millie and Alex often hosted parties away from their apartment so they didn't need to clean up all the mess themselves afterwards. They were both known enough in town that they could expect a good turnout. Millie remembered the last beach bonfire party a few months ago. She and Alex had somehow ended up having sex in a nearby park.

"That sounds fun," he said, and she wondered if he remembered the incident.

"Next weekend?" Millie suggested. She had a test she had to study for this weekend, but she should have finished a bunch of her assignments by the next one. When he nodded, she took another bite of the apple. "I'm gonna go study a bit more. I'll come out when dinner's ready."


	4. Living Dangerously (M)

**Chapter Four: Living Dangerously**

* * *

 **A/N: So it's been a bit longer than usual but here's an update! Please leave a review with your thoughts, we love reading what you have to say :)**

* * *

Cam raked a hand through her hair as she scrubbed at the alcohol that had plastered itself to the bar from the night before. She hated when Tenille worked – the girl was hopeless when it came to cleaning and it meant she had more work to do the following morning. Her wrist was beginning to hurt from having scrub at the sticky marks left, leading to her growing frustration with the bar.

She looked up when she heard the door swing open, raising an eyebrow as she recognised the familiar male face. "Hey. What're you doing here in the middle of the day?"

"Just need a drink." Baz answered her, walking over and sitting down at the bar.

Cam stopped herself from making a comment about it being too early in the day, noticing that he didn't seem like his usual self. "What do you need?"

"Beer." He told her, raking a hand through his hair as he glanced around the empty bar.

Cam grabbed a glass, filling it and placing it in front of him. "You look like you need more than beer."

"Yeah, I don't know." He chuckled, although Cam could hear the lack of emotion in it. She grabbed a bottle of vodka and shot glass, putting it in front of him. "Thanks."

"So. What's wrong?" She asked as she leant against the bar, resting her elbows on the surface of it.

"Someone I care about died." He downed the shot she'd placed in front of him as he spoke the words, and Cam couldn't help but feel her heart sink slightly.

"Oh, Baz. I'm so sorry." She bit her lip as she poured him another shot, understand why he was drinking so early in the day.

Baz shrugged his shoulders as he downed the second shot. "It's fine. It wasn't unexpected."

"Still." She rubbed his shoulder in a comforting manner, watching as he began to sip at the beer. "More vodka?"

"I should probably keep a clear head." He sighed heavily, finishing the beer that was in front of him. "What's new with you?"

"Nothing. I hate my boss, my family are driving me nuts." She smiled slightly, trying to lighten the mood slightly.

Baz nodded in agreement, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I think we all know that feeling."

Cam pushed herself away from the bar, walking around it and wrapping her arms around him in an attempt to give him a comforting hug. Baz hugged her back, his face resting against her shoulder. "If you need anything, let me know."

"Thanks, Cam." He smiled down at her as she kissed his cheek before she began clearing away the glasses. "I should go."

"You know where to find me." She called over to him as he made his way to the door.

* * *

It was the perfect night for a beach bonfire party. The water was calm and there were about fifty or so people – at the moment, at least. Millie sipped her cider, tossing back her blonde hair. It was almost always warm in Oceanside, even at night. She had on her favourite navy blue bikini and was enjoying the attention it was getting her – especially from one person in particular. Someone grabbed her around the waist and she shrieked, glancing over her shoulder to see that it was Craig. What a surprise.

"Asshole," she chastised.

Craig tightened his grip on her, his lips trailing down her neck. She couldn't help but gasp.

"What are you doing, Craig?" she asked, although she already had a fair idea. Craig wanted what he always wanted. This was Millie's chance to laugh and reject him, to play hard to get…but she didn't want to. She knew she was probably playing the game exactly the way he wanted.

"Having some fun," he said.

She smirked. "Don't you wanna have more?"

Craig responded by starting to undo her bikini top. Millie grabbed his hand and led him away from the main party. As much as she was pretty confident, she didn't really want the rest of the beach bonfire party to see her and Craig going at it. They disappeared behind a bunch of trees, close enough that they could still hear the laughing and whooping of the others but secluded enough that no one was going to stumble upon them. Millie undid her bikini top and took it off, causing Craig's gaze to immediately go to her boobs.

"Like it better off?" she asked with a wicked smile.

"Of course I do," Craig replied. He reached out and palmed at her boobs, making her moan. The smirk that spread across his lips indicated that was the reaction he'd been looking for. Millie pressed close and untied his boardies. She doubted either of them had a condom on them, but she could always take the morning-after pill. She and Alex had had spontaneous sex in plenty of places.

He picked her up and set her down on the grass, tugging off her bikini bottoms. She could tell that he was really eager and it made her feel smug. Shoving his boardies down, Millie spread her legs, moaning softly when he pushed into her. Her legs wrapped tight around Craig's waist as he started to thrust, gripping her hips tightly. She wouldn't be lying if she said Craig Cody was the best she'd ever had, but she definitely was not going to be telling his smug ass that.

Craig ran his hands over her body as she arched against him, bucking her hips to meet his thrusts. He started to speed up, apparently encouraged by Millie's loud moans. Yet there was noise that could be heard even over that, the sound of people screaming on the beach. Craig frowned and stopped moving glancing over his shoulder back toward the water.

"What the fuck is going on?"

Millie nudged Craig off her. Both of them fumbled with their bathers, Craig tugging his boardies up and Millie slipping on her bikini bottoms and making sure her boobs were secure in her top. That definitely was the alarmed sort of screaming, not the ridiculously happy kind. She stumbled back down the sandy slopes toward the beach, closely followed by Craig.

* * *

"Hey." Alex greeted Deran with a grin as he made his wat over to the other man. What he hadn't been expecting was for Deran to bluntly ignore him and pull one of the scantily clad girls closer to him. Alex raised an eyebrow at his action, feeling that Deran had made it fairly clear to him that he didn't want to be associated with him. "Fine."

Alex made his way over to one of the crowds of women dancing, slipping in between a couple of blonde girls in tiny bikinis. He wasn't usually the petty type, but he didn't appreciate being ignored the way Deran had just ignored him. He kissed one of the girls that was grinding against him. It wasn't the most enjoyable hook up, but he could see from the corner of his eye that it was getting the reaction he had been hoping for.

He let his hands trails down the woman's body as he kissed her neck, his eyes finding Deran as he downed a beer before heading down to the water. He sat down in the sand, tugging the girl into his lap as he ran his hands over her breasts, smirking at the way she moaned and writhed in pleasure as he did so. At least if Deran was going to sulk, he was going to enjoy himself for the evening.

"Ah, fuck." Alex muttered as he noticed Deran was nowhere to be seen in the water. He pushed the girl out of his lap before heading down to the water, diving in and searching around.

It seemed like ages as he flailed around, trying to find the other man. Eventually his hand connected with someone's elbow and relief flooded through him as he recognised Deran's face. He dragged him back onto the shore, panting heavily as he unceremoniously dumped him in the sand, his fingers searching Deran's neck for a pulse.

"What the hell happened?!" Alex heard Craig shout as he ran over to him.

Alex began to start CPR after finding no signs of a pulse or breathing, glancing sideways at Craig who was freaking out beside him. "I don't know!"

"Fuck, what was he doing in the water?" Millie questioned from where she stood behind Craig, raking a hand through her hair.

"Just call an ambulance." Alex ordered as he continued his compressions, rolling Deran onto his side as he began to cough up water. "Cough it up."

"Ambulance is on its way." Millie announced as she made her way back over to them, grimacing as Deran vomited up water.

Alex shifted so Deran's head was in his lap instead of the sand as he held his hair back. "How long, Millie?"

"Ten minutes." She informed them, glancing down at Craig who was hovering over his brother.

"Thank you." Craig glanced Alex who nodded at him. All three of them were glad to see their Deran was still alive, but none of them were about to stop worrying yet.

* * *

Millie let out a yawn as she wandered over to the door upon hearing the knocking. She raked a hand through her hair as she adjusted Alex's shirt before swinging the door open. "Hey, Deran."

"Is Alex in?" Deran questioned, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

Millie moved so she was out of the doorway, allowing him room to walk in. "He's showering. Want to come in?"

Deran nodded, wandering into the apartment and looking around. "Sure."

"Alex, Deran's here." Millie called out to her roommate, being careful to avoid the broken bits of the table.

"Great." Alex muttered to himself as he wandered out into the lounge room, not bothering to put on anything other than a towel that hung low on his hips. He was a proud person and had no shame in showing off his body. "What do you want?"

"What the fuck?" Deran questioned as he moved a piece of splintered wood with his foot. The table had been cracked in two and two of the legs had broken off.

"We broke it." Alex shrugged, grabbing his coffee off of the bench.

Deran's frown became deeper at the words. "Doing. What?"

"Having sex. We went all night. It's why Millie is walking funny." Alex explained, glancing at his friend whose cheeks had turned the slightest shade of pink. He knew she wasn't embarrassed about sex, it was more that she couldn't walk properly.

"So what, you're fucking Millie now?" Deran couldn't help but feel confused upon finding that out as Alex shrugged at him. "I thought you and I were screwing!"

"Yeah, we were. It was just sex." Alex told him, sipping his coffee happily as he leant against the bench.

"But what, you're banging Millie too?" Deran was trying to wrap his head around what was going on, unable to help the annoyance that was evident in his tone. He glanced to Millie who was keeping rather quiet as she watched the two males. "Aren't you fucking Craig?"

"I don't know. Kind of." Millie shrugged, sitting down on the lounge.

Alex sighed heavily. He was able to see how uncomfortable Millie was with Deran questioning her. "Leave her out of this, Deran."

"So you're looking for dick wherever you can find it, huh Millie?" He snapped at her, glaring at her as she sat there quietly, biting her lip. "So what Millie, pretending to date me, fucking my brother and also your roomie? Nice."

"Just shut up, Deran." She snarled at him, narrowing her eyes.

Alex finally snapped at the other man, his voice rising in anger. "Pretending to date you? When we're in public, you don't even want to fucking know me!"

"Alex, it's okay." Millie moved over to him, touching his arm gently. "Deran, you should go."

"No, it's not okay. I dragged his ass out of the fucking ocean. I saved his fucking life, and he's upset because he's not the only person I wanna fuck? Screw this. We never put a label on what we were. You don't get to come in here all pissed off at me." Alex ranted, glaring at Deran, and Millie knew if looks could kill in that moment, Deran would be dead ten times over.

"So, what, you shove your dick in the girl my brother's seeing? Nice going." Deran chuckled, although there was no humour in his voice.

Alex clenched his fists, wanting nothing more than to punch Deran. "Get out."

Millie watched as Deran stalked out, her head snapping back to look at her roommate as she heard the sound of wood splintering. "Alex, hey, it's okay."

"Yeah, whatever." He scowled as he walked into his room, searching for some clean clothes.

"You need to calm down. Did you wanna play a video game?" She asked as she followed him, leaning in the doorway.

"I'm going to bed." He told her before shutting his door in her face and flopping on his bed. Right now he was torn between going to the gym and hitting something or going to sleep and forgetting about everything that was currently going on.

* * *

Millie headed into the Cody residence, determined to talk to Deran. She was seriously pissed off about the way he'd treated Alex, and also the way he'd spoken to her. As far as she knew, she wasn't Craig's anything. They'd just slept together a few times. So for Deran to make out like it was a big deal that she and Alex had screwed really wasn't cool. She walked into his room and leaned in the doorway when she saw he was gaming with Craig.

"Deran, I need to talk to you."

He kept his eyes on the game. "Not interested, Millie."

She heaved a sigh. "Deran."

"Did you hear me?" Deran glanced at her, blue eyes narrowing. She wasn't taking any of his shit, though. They'd known each other since they'd started high school. She was one of the first people who'd known he was gay – especially considering they'd been each other's firsts in an awkward sexual encounter when Millie was thirteen and Deran was fifteen. Deran had struggled to get hard and Millie had just been in pain, not to mention Deran freaking out when he realised she was bleeding. They'd shared some really embarrassing experiences, so Millie wasn't going to let him shut her out now.

"What happened?" Craig asked, looking between them.

"Alex and Millie went a few rounds the other night." Deran paused the game and put the controller down.

"It doesn't matter," she argued. None of their relationships were set in stone, so she didn't get why Deran felt he had the right to be mad about it. Judging from Craig's neutral expression, he wasn't about to get pissed.

"The hell it doesn't," Deran snapped.

"Why are you so pissed?" Craig asked, raising his eyebrows. "It's not like you were having sex with her."

"No, but weren't you?" Deran inquired rather aggressively.

Craig shrugged. "Yeah, but that's my problem. You and Alex are having a fight? What did you do?"

"Had a go at Alex when he had no right to," Millie responded, knowing that Deran would rather bury his problems and pretend that they didn't exist. "Especially since Alex saved his life."

Deran scowled. "The hell do you know?"

"We know that he dragged your ass from the ocean and revived you," Craig scolded him. Millie was secretly pleased that he was siding with her and realised he was treating Alex like crap, but she didn't say anything about it.

"Whose side are you on, dude?" Deran asked irritably.

Craig threw up his hands. "It's not my fault you're being an ass."

"If you're not willing to actually establish a relationship with Alex, don't bother." Millie folded her arms over her chest. "It's not fair of you to want him, but then want nothing to do with him in public."

"What do you want me to do, huh?" Deran exclaimed, raking a hand through his hair.

"Get your ass over there and talk to him," she insisted.

"Fine." Deran eased himself up from the beanbag he'd been sprawled in, grabbing his keys and storming out of the room. For a few moments there was an uncomfortable silence between Millie and Craig. The blonde bit her lip, waiting to see what he was going to say.

"So. You slept with him."

"Alex? Yeah." Millie examined him. "Is there something you want to say?"

"Nope." Craig put his remote down, looking at her. "Is it gonna happen again?"

"I don't know, Craig." Millie raked her fingers through her hair. "You got what you wanted, right?"

"You're fun." Craig leaned back. "I'd like you to hang around."

She raised her eyebrows, surprised. She'd been fully prepared for him to brush her off now that she'd slept with Alex, even if she and Craig hadn't been an official item. She knew it was just sex and although she hadn't wanted to be his latest fling, she'd resigned herself to being just that. Now it seemed like Craig wanted something more than that.

"Does that mean you want us to be exclusive or what?"

"For now, why not?" Craig's eyes raked over her. "Like I said, you're fun."

Millie scoffed. "Best lay you ever had."

"Probably." He caught her around the waist, pulling her down into his lap. She couldn't help but feel smug, as though she had won something. Craig had been through lots of girls, and Deran had said he'd never been serious about one of them. The fact that he wanted them to be exclusive was a big step for him. She didn't get why she was so different from other girls, but she definitely wasn't complaining.

Craig kissed her passionately and Millie responded with just as much enthusiasm. He was a man who knew what he wanted – and he usually wanted the same thing. Millie moaned as he groped at her boobs. His breath was hot on her neck as he felt her up. Despite him just commenting about wanting to be exclusive, it was obvious that right now, he had sex on his mind. At least she had to admit it was better than cocaine.

"How sore are you?" he asked huskily.

She smirked. "Why, do you wanna fuck me?"

"Maybe," Craig said, but the lust in his eyes told a different story. She got to her feet, stretching her arms over her head and enjoying the way his eyes roamed over her curves.

"Well, if we have a shower and you go slow…"

"Deal," he said immediately. Millie followed him into the bathroom, watching as he turned the taps on. She took off her clothes and stepped under the water, enjoying the feeling of the heat on her skin. Craig moved in behind her – probably not getting any water in truth – and she pressed back against him, reaching for his cock.

"Millie."

"Hmm?" She glanced over her shoulder at him.

"Have you seen yourself?" Craig asked, and the fact that he was concerned about her made her pause. "You're covered in bruises."

 _Oh_. Millie had momentarily forgotten about all the rough sex she and Alex had had the other night. Alex liked to get his aggression out in the bedroom and even though Millie didn't mind, it certainly meant the two of them would have marks from the incident. She hadn't realised that the bruising was bad enough to make Craig hesitate, but it would probably explain why she was so sore.

"So?" She shrugged. "I was after the first time you and I had sex, too. Alex never hurt me."

"I know, but sex might not be the best thing right now," Craig stated, making Millie wonder if she'd heard correctly. Craig Cody, not wanting to fuck? Well, that was something you didn't hear every day. She washed her hair, rinsing the suds out before slipping out of the shower. When she looked in the mirror, she did see some marks – namely, hickeys on her neck and shoulders and some bruises on her arms and legs. She pulled a towel around herself, glancing at Craig as he made the most of the hot water.

"Do you want me to go?"

"Nope." Craig got out of the shower too, wrapping a towel around his waist. "Stay and have a drink."

Millie nodded. Part of her was pleased that Craig seemed to take her seriously, but part of her worried how long it would last. He was notorious for bouncing between women. He might be interested in Millie now, but she doubted things would stay that way. All she needed to do was make sure she dropped him before he got sick of her.

* * *

Alex ran a hand through his hair as he swept up more of Millie's rabbit's poo. He hated weekends. Weekends meant cleaning and it was his least favourite thing to do. Once he was done sweeping he made his way into the kitchen in search of coffee. He was grateful that his mother had taken Amelie for the weekend, giving him at least a touch of freedom. As he made his coffee, a knock at the door sounded. He hadn't been expecting anyone, and to his knowledge Millie wasn't either.

Alex swung the door open, unable to stop himself from being surprised that it was Deran standing outside. He definitely wasn't expecting him. "Hey."

"What do you want?" Alex could hear the bluntness in his tone, and while he would normally care, after the events of the other day he couldn't help but still be fuming.

"Just to talk." Deran told him, stepping into the apartment as Alex stepped out of the doorway. "I was a dick the other day."

"You think?" Alex wanted to punch him for what had happened, but he stopped himself, instead opting to drink more coffee.

"I was rude to you, and I was rude to Millie." Deran admitted, raking a hand through his hair. Alex remained silent, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm fucking sorry, okay? I know I've been a shit to you."

"Okay." Alex shrugged. It was the best kind of apology he was going to get from the other man, and he knew it. It was better than not getting one at all. "Coffee?"

"Sure." Deran nodded, watching as Alex slid a cup of the black liquid over to him. It smelt good at least. "Thanks. Are you still mad?"

Alex thought on it for a moment before nodding. "Yes."

Deran sat down on one of the bar stools behind the bench, watching as Alex moved about the kitchen. "You gonna forgive me?"

"Yes." Alex answered, leaning against the bench. He had his conditions for forgiving him though. He wasn't about to become some plaything. "But you need to decide what we are."

"What do you want us to be?" Deran ran his fingers over the side of the coffee mug. Alex had known this was going to be an awkward conversation, but it was one that they needed to have.

"You already know where I stand." Alex remarked. It was part of the reason they were so tense to begin with.

"So what, you want a relationship?" Deran wasn't sure how he felt about it, but he also knew that it couldn't hurt to give it a go. It wasn't as if Alex was asking him to announce it to the world, he was merely asking him to acknowledge the seriousness of their relationship. "Alright."


	5. More Than A Booty Call

**Chapter Five: More Than A Booty Call**

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating, but here's a little something just in time for the Season 2 finale! We do plan to keep updating between now and Season 3, but of course reviews and feedback are very much appreciated in the meantime :)**

* * *

Cam looked up from rearranging the tables and chairs in the bar when she heard the door swing open. She smiled upon noticing the familiar face, despite her thinking it was too early in the day for him to be visiting. "Hey, Baz."

"Cam." Baz smiled, shutting the door behind him and making his way over to the bar as she walked behind it.

"Here for a break or a drink?" She asked, moving about the bar as she cleaned glasses. It was her way of avoiding night shifts at times. She'd clean all day and it'd leave her with the night to relax and avoid drunken idiots.

Baz ran a hand through his hair, sitting down on one of the stools. "Just a break."

Cam raised an eyebrow, but didn't press the matter further. She could see he was stressed, but knew it best to not bombard him with questions. "Anything I can do for you?"

"I might have one drink." He smiled slightly, watching as she slid one across to him. "Thanks. You got much family?"

"Yeah, I've got a bit. Why do you ask?" She was a little surprised by the question. He'd only ever asked about her family in regards to their business before, never because he seemed curious. Baz shrugged at her, indicating there was no real reason behind his question. "Do you just come here for the booze?"

Baz shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "No, to get away from family mostly."

"Well, glad I'm a good source of entertainment." She laughed, sitting down beside him, leaning against the bar.

"Not really entertainment so much as sanity." He told her as she took a sip of his beer, playing with the bottle in his hand.

"Oh, honey, you clearly don't know me then." She winked, crossing one leg over the other. "I am definitely not sane."

"You seem it." He replied, shifting so that he was facing her. He always did enjoy speaking to her. They were still getting to know each other, and she provided a much needed break from his family.

"I like to appear it." She smirked as she leant against the bar, watching him. He raised an eyebrow at her in a silent question, making her raise her own eyebrows. "What?"

"You're staring." He commented, finishing the beer in his hand.

Cam rolled her eyes, pushing herself to her feet and taking them empty bottle from him. "You're nice to stare at."

"So are you." The words rolled smoothly off of his tongue, and Cam could tell he was well rehearsed

Cam paused for a moment, examining him and choosing her words carefully. She wasn't sure how to feel about the man in front of her. "Are you flirting with me?"

"Maybe a little." He chuckled, hooking an arm around her waist and pulling her close to him.

Cam placed the empty bottle back on the bench, watching him as he pressed her closer against him before pressing his lips to hers. She slid her arms around his neck as she felt his hands on her hips, sliding up to her waist as they stayed locked in their embrace. Cam began to kiss her way down his neck, her teeth grazing against the sensitive flesh. Baz couldn't help the groan he let out, forcing himself to pull away from the woman in front of him.

"I should go." He told her, glancing down at his watch. His family were going to notice his absence soon enough. "See you tomorrow night."

Cam nodded, smiling at him as she watched him collect his things and pull his keys from his pocket. "Good luck with the family."

* * *

Spending nights at the Cody residence was becoming normal for Millie. It was strange to her, that Craig had such a close relationship with his mum and his brothers. Millie thought of her own broken, dysfunctional family. She and her mum never spoke, while she only communicated with her dad if she needed financial support. Since Millie's younger brother Dylan had died in a car accident a few years ago, it had torn their family up. He'd only been seventeen at the time, and none of them had really recovered from it – so a sense of normality at Smurf's place was kinda nice.

"Morning, baby," Smurf called as Craig walked out into the kitchen, Millie following in one of his shirts. She put a hand over her mouth to suppress a yawn. "You want some food?"

"Yes, please." Craig grabbed himself some juice from the fridge, but Millie's attention had turned to the kid sitting at the dining table. He was in his late teens, too young to be one of Deran's mates.

"Millie, this is J, my grandson."

"Nice to meet you," J piped up.

"You too." Millie tipped him a wink, grinning when he got flustered and looked away. This must be Julia's son. She didn't know a whole lot about Julia, but she'd heard that Julia had a teenage boy.

"Are you staying for a swim, sweetie?" Smurf asked of Millie as the young woman helped herself to some breakfast. On days when she didn't have work or class, Millie loved to bask around in the pool – but unfortunately today wasn't one of those days.

"Probably not, I've got class at 12."

"What do you study?" J asked, surprising her with his interest in academia. Most of Smurf's boys couldn't really care less. She suspected that Deran even forgot what she was studying sometimes.

Millie glanced at him. "Information Technology."

Craig scoffed. "Nerd."

"Well, this nerd has got to get to class," Millie said smoothly. She highly doubted any of the Cody boys had tertiary education – not that it mattered either way, but it was important to her. She knew Craig was just kidding, but she still wanted to put him in his place. She wasn't the sort to get embarrassed about how hard she worked for her grades.

"Need a ride?" Craig asked.

She shrugged. "Sure."

"When do you have to leave?"

It amazed her sometimes that Craig didn't seem to have much to do during the day. Apparently, he and the other boys helped Smurf in property management, but she was yet to see anything about their business. It made her suspicious, but she didn't say anything. Clearly, the Cody family was getting money from _somewhere_. Millie checked her phone. A text from Alex and another from one of her friends, but not a whole lot else happening there.

"Half an hour."

Craig nodded. "I'm gonna shower."

* * *

Millie headed back into the apartment after class, unable to prevent herself from wincing slightly. It had been a few days since she and Alex had really gone at it, but she was still feeling the aches and pangs from it. When she headed in, she wasn't overly surprised to find her roommate cleaning. He was so goddamn domestic. She leaned against the kitchen bench, happy to observe.

"So, did he talk to you?" They both knew she was referring to Deran.

Alex set the mop against the wall. "Yeah, he apologised."

"Good." Millie sat down, grimacing. Sitting was probably the worst part. She liked rough sex for sure, but sometimes she forgot about the bruises that came with it.

"Still sore?" Alex asked, grinning when she nodded and poked her tongue out. "Sorry about that. I can't sleep on my back."

"Hm, true, I guess that's my fault." Millie eased herself off the couch to kneel down in front of her rabbit's cage, taking Cinnamon out and stroking his fur. "Does it look like a cat got at your back again?"

She moved Cinnamon to her lap. At first Alex hadn't been thrilled at the thought of having a rabbit at their place, but he'd warmed to the idea – and the bunny – eventually. Alex tugged his shirt off, turning around to show her his back. Millie raised her eyebrows but was not surprised to see the scratches she'd left there.

"Damn." She leaned back against the couch. "So are you and Deran a thing now?"

"I think so." Alex pulled his shirt back on, heading into the kitchen and starting to make some food for afternoon tea. "As much of a thing as we can be."

"He'll come out about it." Millie lay back on the carpet, putting Cinnamon on her boobs. "I think Craig wants us to be exclusive. I'm not sure if he means that."

"Talk to him about it," Alex insisted.

"And say what? I don't know, I don't usually do relationships." Millie watched the bunny hop off her chest and bound about the lounge room. Alex picked him up and she couldn't help but smile. "You like him, huh."

"He's cute," Alex admitted.

"So, the Codys don't just deal in property, do they?" Millie asked, getting up off the floor and heading into the kitchen to inspect whatever food Alex had prepared. She'd often told him he could consider a career as a chef, but he liked being a sparkie too much.

"I dunno." Alex shrugged, putting Cinnamon back in the cage. "Deran and I don't really talk much."

Millie laughed. "You know talking is good for a healthy relationship, right?"

"So is sex," he replied.

"Yeah, and we both do plenty of fucking and not enough talking." Millie washed her hands and grabbed a few things from the platter. She grazed a lot during the day, especially when she had study and assignments to do.

"I think I talk to Deran more than you talk to Craig," Alex stated.

"Hey!" Millie frowned, thinking that was completely untrue. "We talked a lot earlier."

"Because you couldn't fuck," Alex reminded her. It was true – she still had yellowing bruises in a lot of places and Craig wasn't too keen on doing anything that might do more damage, so getting hot and heavy was the most they'd been doing lately.

"Whose fault is that?" Millie demanded, folding her arms over her chest when Alex winked. She might act annoyed, but it had been good sex and she didn't regret it.

* * *

Alex swung the front door open as he heard the persistent knocking, raising an eyebrow at Deran as it opened to reveal him. "Hey."

"Can I come in?" Deran asked, raking a hand through his already messy hair.

"Sure." Alex nodded, stepping aside so that Deran could walk through. "You okay?"

Deran shook his head, sitting down heavily on the couch. Alex followed him over, pulling a beer from the fridge and handing it to him. "Not really."

"What happened?" Alex frowned, knowing something serious was up for Deran to rock up at his place in such a dishevelled state.

"Craig's been hurt." Deran sipped the beer before rubbing his face and glancing down at his phone. "He was hurt while we were surfing."

"Ah." Alex nodded slowly, looking around. He wasn't really sure how to help the man in front of him. He wasn't the best when it came to comforting people who were upset, with the exception of his daughter who just wanted ice cream. He sat down beside him, rubbing his shoulder as Deran sipped his beer. Alex ran a hand through his own hair, trying to figure a way to dissipate the silence that had fallen over them. "Hungry?"

"Yeah, a bit." Deran nodded, watching as Alex got to his feet and headed into the kitchen, returning a few minutes later with a plate of warm leftovers. "Thanks, man. How's your kid?"

"She's good. Growing too fast for my liking." Alex chuckled, sitting back down beside him with a beer for himself in his hand.

"Cute." Deran smiled as he dug into the food, grateful for the meal after the stressful day he had had. "How's work?"

"Tiring, otherwise good." Alex shrugged, clearing up his plate as Deran finished eating.

Deran watching him, taking another sip from his beer. "Do you want help?"

"It can just go in the dishwasher." Alex shrugged, shoving it into the dishwasher.

"I should head home." Deran got to his feet, leaning in the doorway of the kitchen.

"You're welcome to stay." Alex shrugged, heading towards the bathroom. He didn't want Deran to leave, but he wasn't going to force him to stay if he wasn't interested. "I'm gonna shower."

* * *

"What did you do?" Millie asked as she headed into Craig's room to find him sprawled dramatically on his bed. He'd texted her to say he wasn't doing so great and had gotten hurt, so of course she'd headed over to see what had happened. He was sipping what looked like a takeaway milkshake.

"Hurt myself while surfing."

"Aw, baby. Can I see?" Millie flopped beside him on his bed, wrinkling her nose when he showed her the bloodied bandage on his upper chest. It kind of reeked too. "Gross. I've got class later, but I thought I'd come see you."

"I'll probably sleep soon anyway," he said, but seeing her about to get up he gripped her arm. "Stay for a bit. Please."

"Have you had a girlfriend before, Craig?" Millie asked. She remembered him vaguely from when they'd been younger. He'd always been Deran's wild older brother, the one getting in trouble with the cops, doing drugs and having sex with girls who looked like supermodels. She hadn't really paid much attention to him as a teenager, and she wondered if he'd paid attention to her.

"Not really. Why?"

"I don't know." She shrugged her shoulders. "Curious. If I'm more than a booty call, what am I?"

"My girlfriend?" Craig asked, seeming uncertain.

"Is that what you want me to be, considering you've never had a girlfriend before?" Millie couldn't help but be suspicious. There was literally nothing that set her apart from a bunch of other girls Craig had banged.

"I guess so." Craig's own indecisiveness didn't really help the situation. She would have pushed it further, but he winced and raised a hand to his bandage. Millie sighed and tugged the bandage back to inspect the wound, wrinkling her nose at the smell. It reeked like rotten fruit. Craig tried to bat her hands away, but she inspected the wound closely.

"That is so not a surfing wound," Millie declared. She might not be a doctor, but she knew what cuts and scrapes from rocks looked like. The wound on Craig's chest was way too evenly shaped and neat to be from some kind of surfing incident. It roused her suspicions. "So how'd it happen?"

"I got shot," Craig admitted. "By some guy. I don't know who."

"Some random shot you?" Millie raised her eyebrows, not really believing this story. "Why?"

Craig shrugged. "Got in a fight."

She knew that Craig was reckless and prone to getting into brawls with others, but she highly doubted he'd been shot in one. It also didn't make sense to her why he hadn't just said that in the first place, instead of claiming it was a surfing wound. There was something suspicious going on, and Millie's feeling that the Codys were involved in some less than legal activities only grew stronger.

"You should get it looked at," she said coolly, getting to her feet. She didn't expect Craig to tell her the whole truth, but if he wanted to be in a relationship with her, he was going to learn pretty fast that she didn't appreciate being lied to.

* * *

"You're very quiet." Cam commented, having been observing Baz for the last few minutes. She'd had a nice evening with him, that had resulted with them returning to her place together. It had taken all of her willpower to not jump him when they had woken up, but instead she had made her way to the kitchen to make coffee. He had joined her some time later, but was yet to speak a word to her at all.

Baz raised an eyebrow at her, sipping the coffee she had handed to him. "Is that bad?"

"It's concerning." She answered, sitting down across from him.

"I'm normally quiet, aren't I?" He leant back in his chair, eyeing her as she shuffled about, wearing only his shirt.

She shook her head, sipping her own coffee and leaning forward. "Not like this."

"Just family problems. It's fine." He assured her, watching as she moved behind him, rubbing his shoulders gently, working her fingers over the knots in his back. He was tense a lot, she could tell. "That feels nice."

"I'm glad." She smiled, leaning down to kiss his cheek as she finished up giving him a massage. "So what happened?"

"It's just a lot of things." Baz shrugged, watching as she finished her own coffee, pouring herself another. "They're just stressful to be around."

"Do you live at home?" She had never really thought about asking him where he lived, as he was always with her at her place. It was more convenient for her, and she assumed he liked being at hers or the bar to escape his family home.

"No, but I see them a lot." Baz shook his head, leaning back in his chair. "What about you?"

"I live alone but I see them occasionally. About once a week for Sunday dinner." She explained, smiling. It was her family tradition to always have dinner together on a Sunday, especially with her brother having so many kids and her mother no longer around. Her dad liked to keep the tradition to keep a sense of normality now that both of his children had left home. "We should go to dinner again."

"Tuesday night?" Baz suggested, smiling at her.

"Sure."


	6. The Great Expansion (M)

**Chapter Six: The Great Expansion**

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone, long time no update! So here's the latest chapter, and things are starting to get set into motion ;) We haven't gotten as many reviews lately...not sure if that's because you aren't enjoying it, or because it's out of season? Please let us know your thoughts whether good or bad, more reviews generally means quicker updates too :)**

* * *

"No. No way." Baz shook his head vehemently. They'd sat down for a family meeting to consider their future plans, only for Deran to make a suggestion that had surprised everyone. He'd put forward that Millie could help out with some of their jobs, citing her excellent hacking skills. However, it was obvious that Baz wasn't comfortable with that, and although Pope remained silent, his deep frown indicated that he felt similarly.

"What?" Deran threw his arms up. "It could work. We could have her running surveillance, that sort of shit. She'd make sure we leave absolutely no electronic footprint or whatever."

"We can't trust this girl." Baz gestured to Craig, who was still recovering from the bullet wound. Although he'd come alarmingly close to getting the wound badly infected, a quick trip to Mexico had spared him something that could have gotten nasty. "We aren't involving Craig's latest plaything in this."

"She's my girlfriend," Craig protested.

"I don't care." Baz folded his arms over his chest. "The answer is no. It's too risky involving someone outside of the family. We don't know how she'd react. What if she freaks out and goes to the cops?"

"I've known Millie since we were teenagers, man," Deran insisted, picking up his cigarette and taking a slow drag. "She isn't like that. We did all sorts of illegal shit back in the day. We could start her off small, see how she goes…"

"I think it could work."

All eyes turned on Smurf, who had remained silent as the boys had bickered about whether Millie should be included in their operations. Deran couldn't help but smirk, while Baz appeared frustrated by Smurf's contribution.

"Look, she's a nice girl, I've got nothing against her, but she isn't family."

"We aren't going to let her in on everything, baby," Smurf assured him, "But we could always use allies. Before you boys were all grown up, I used to run jobs with people outside the family. We can't trust them, but we can use them."

"We can see how she goes," Craig piped up, although no one at the table was honestly surprised that he was taking Deran's side on this. It had become obvious to his entire family that he seemed to have fallen head over heels for the girl. Although he'd probably tire of her eventually, none of them had ever seen Craig so whipped.

"What happens if she turns on us?" Baz demanded. "What happens if I'm right and she bails?"

There was an uncomfortable silence at the table. None of them wanted to think about that, but drastic measures would have to be taken if Millie proved untrustworthy. Baz looked hard at Craig, wondering if he was going to say anything to defend the blonde this time. Craig glared, but otherwise remained silent. Not even Deran had it in him to try and say it might never happen.

"We'll figure that out when it comes to it," Smurf said, but none of them doubted that any sign of betrayal would be dealt with – swiftly and harshly.

* * *

Rico Lawrence glanced over the menu as he sipped at the merlot he had ordered. It was a nice evening, and he had chosen a nice Italian place as his meeting point with Smurf. He had seen how close his daughter Cam had become to one of her sons, and was curious about Smurf, and her operations. He had not built his criminal empire through fear and violence, well, not solely. He was a people person, and was good at talking. It was something his first wife had always reminded him would serve him well.

"So. Rico." Smurf broke the silence between them, sipping at her own drink. She knew that Rico hadn't brought her there because he liked her, well, knew it wasn't the only reason.

"I have a business proposal." He announced, to her, leaning back in his chair and swilling the red liquid in his glass. "I want your boys to help me with some jobs."

"What kind of jobs?" Smurf raised an eyebrow.

Rico smiled politely at her, setting his glass down. "Intimidating people, nothing too difficult."

"Why do you want my boys for it?" She was curious now. Rico has the money to hire thugs, so she wondered why he wanted her boys to do his dirty work.

"Because they're good at scaring people. Most of my guys are useful because they're not scary. Makes them approachable." He explained to her, pouring them both more wine as he did so. "Besides, I hear you're in real estate. It could be useful to me."

"Could it now?" The comment made Smurf's curiosity grow. She didn't expect Rico to spill all of his secrets, but she was finding it difficult to read the man in front of her.

"Yes, it could. I'm happy to give you a cut of my profits." He assured her, ordering their food as the waiter made his way over, taking their menus from them.

Smurf leant back in her own chair, downing her glass of wine. "How much?"

"40 percent." Rico leant forward, extending his hand to her. He was willing to sacrifice profit, to ensure the money continued to flow well. She thought on it for a moment before slipping her slender hand into his larger one, shaking it tightly.

"Alright."

"Are you having a nice evening?" Rico questioned as he drew his hand back, glancing down at the pasta dish that was placed in front of him.

"I am." She confirmed, beginning to eat her meal placed in front of her.

"Good. I'm glad. I didn't want you to feel like it was all a formality to me. I like to make friends with those who I am in business with." He stated as he began to eat, sipping his wine occasionally.

Smurf smiled sweetly at him, putting her fork down as she finished eating. "I can understand that. I don't take well to intimidation, neither do my boys."

"I don't make enemies of people I don't know. It's why I asked you to dinner."

* * *

Millie hadn't been out clubbing in a while, but apparently there were matters Craig and Deran wanted to discuss with her in a setting where they couldn't be overheard. Honestly, she thought that was just an excuse to have a good night out. She dressed up in one of her favourite clubbing outfits – a sparkly silver crop that showed off a lot of cleavage and a short leather skirt that barely covered her ass. She knew Craig would appreciate it.

She'd been proven wrong in thinking she was in for a wild night out – once they'd hit the club, the boys had taken her aside. Under the neon lights and amidst the pulse of the music, they asked if she wanted to do some business for the family. A wicked smile spread across Millie's lips.

"You mean legal or illegal?"

Deran and Cody exchanged confused glances. It was obvious they hadn't expected her to know. Millie rolled her eyes, leaning back against the seat and taking a sip of her cocktail. Did they really think she was that oblivious?

"Come on, boys. Deran, I've known you since I was thirteen, did you really think I wouldn't pick up on anything?"

"Illegal work, yeah," Deran admitted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "It'd be hacking into stuff for us, basically messing with some security systems, that kind of shit."

"I'd be down for that." Millie set her glass on the table. "What's the pay like?"

"More than you'd be earning at the games store," Craig piped up. He knew that she was only getting minimum wage, something that she didn't complain about but that made it hard to keep afloat on weeks where she didn't get many shifts.

"We can discuss it on your first job," Deran stated, more business-like than his older brother. Millie reached across the table and offered her hand, and Deran shook it. He grinned at her, leaning over to ruffle her hair. "Welcome to the team, kiddo."

He pushed himself away from the table, muttering something about getting a beer. Millie suspected that with all the business talk over, he was happy to give her some private time with Craig. Her boyfriend – it still felt weird associating that word with him – eyed her obviously. She tossed her hair back, knowing that he'd approve of her choice of outfit.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Good." She nodded emphatically. "How about you?"

"I'm excited," Craig admitted. Millie had been a little unsure how he felt about the prospect of them working together, so she was relieved that he was looking at it positively.

"Got any blow?" she asked. Although Millie didn't often do drugs, she felt like celebrating this latest achievement a bit recklessly. "I could get a little high."

"Of course I have some." Craig winked, looking around before tugging a small package out of his pocket. Millie got up from her seat and went over to sit in his lap, watching as he poured out a line of the white substance. She leaned forward and inhaled some, wrinkling her nose and pressing her hands over her face. She wasn't used to hard drugs.

"That shit is strong," she declared. She leaned back against Craig, gasping when he started pressing his lips up and down her neck. She couldn't help but moan as he sucked at the tender skin, and she could tell where this was going…just perhaps not in the club. She squirmed around in Craig's lap, making him groan.

"Wanna head off?" he asked huskily, his breath hot on her cheek. A grin spread itself across Millie's lips at the realisation that despite her doubts, she still had Craig Cody exactly where she wanted him.

* * *

Millie groaned as she rubbed her eyes, trying to recall what had happened the night before. It had been a while since she'd taken hard drugs. She remembered the boys signing her up for some work, before she'd done some coke with Craig and probably caught a taxi back to his place. When she looked down, she realised she was wearing one of Craig's shirts but nothing underneath.

Glancing at the man sleeping next to her, she shifted closed and pressed kisses up and down his neck. Craig groaned as he stirred, slowly realising what was happening. He examined her with sleepy eyes.

"Tease."

"You like me teasing you." Millie ran her hands down his chest before leaning close to whisper in his ear. "I'm not wearing any underwear."

She didn't think she'd ever seen Craig go from half-asleep to fully alert so quickly. He looped his arms around her and kissed her, his hands roaming her body. The shirt was thin, only a layer of fabric and Craig's boxers separating them. After her victory last night – getting some work with the Codys and the boys basically admitting that they were in some illegal business – Millie felt like she could do with some celebratory sex right now. She reached down to tug down Craig's boxers.

He rolled them so that she was on top of him, causing Millie to raise her eyebrows – although in truth, she wasn't overly surprised. Although Craig sometimes enjoyed dominating her, he was also pretty keen for her to ride him. He ran his hands up her thighs, inching the oversized shirt up higher. Millie shifted slightly to lower herself onto his cock, her lips parting slightly at the familiar feeling. Gripping Craig's shoulders, she started to rock her hips back and forth.

Craig groaned loudly, kissing her neck as her head fell back. She pressed closer against him, but this morning she wasn't about the rough sex. She was more than happy to tease him, rolling her hips slowly enough to get him all hot and bothered about it. He groped at her boobs and bucked his hips against her, clearly eager to quicken the pace. His hands slipped down to grip her hips as he rocked his hips against hers.

"Craig…" Millie gasped. She let him set the pace and tried to keep up with him, fisting her hands in his hair. Her moans increased in volume as she felt herself reaching her climax. Craig seemed to feel the same way because he groaned with each kiss he pressed to her shoulder, thumbs grazing over nipples. Millie cried out as she reached her orgasm, her toes curling and her entire body shuddering. Craig gave a few final slow thrusts before grunting as he reached his. She buried her face in his neck, panting heavily. After a few moments, she slid off him, watching him stretched out with a grin of satisfaction.

Breathless, Millie rolled onto her side and picked up her phone to check her notifications. There was a text from her dad – a text that Millie quickly deleted. She only contacted her dad if it was some kind of emergency. Since their family had broken apart, she didn't really talk to any of them. It hurt less that way. She had a life now, a life that didn't involve the heartbreak of losing her teenage brother.

* * *

Deran sat on the lounge, stretched out with his feet on the table and a controller in his hand. He had been gaming for the past hour or so while Alex went through his usual workout routine. He glanced at the other male who was wiping sweat from his forehead, his long hair tied back and damp with sweat. Deran didn't understand how Alex could be bothered to keep himself in the amazing shape he was in, but he wasn't complaining.

"Gonna come play?" Deran asked as Alex grabbed a towel, his breath coming in short pants.

Alex shook his head, grabbing the shirt he had discarded earlier from the corner of the room. "No."

"Why not?" Deran watched as Alex stalked about, getting himself a protein shake.

Alex shrugged, sipping his drink. "I have better things to do."

"Alright, jeez." Deran rolled his eyes, putting the controller down and getting to his feet. "You seem really tense."

Alex glanced at him, leaning against the bench. "Millie is working this job with you.'

"Yeah, I recommended her." Deran didn't understand what Alex was getting at, but he knew it was the cause of the other man's annoyance. "So what's the problem?"

Alex frowned, almost wanting to hit him for asking what he perceived to be a stupid question. There were many problems with Millie helping them on their job. "It's dangerous work."

"She's hacking, she's not directly involved." Deran pointed out to him, grabbing himself a beer from the fridge.

"I don't care." Alex snapped at him.

Deran threw up his hands in frustration, not sure what Alex wanted him to say about the whole situation. "So what, you're scared she's gonna get hurt? She's a big girl, Alex. Plus she's got us to look out for her."

"Yeah, you're amazing at that..." Alex rolled his eyes, throwing his dishes into the dishwasher and making his way into his room.

"Excuse me?" Deran followed him, leaning in the doorway. "What the hell is that meant to mean?"

"I'm going out." Alex grabbed a new shirt, tugging it on before grabbing his jacket, brushing past Deran.

"Yeah, because you're so great at protecting people. What a big hero." Deran called after him, clenching his jaw as he heard the door slam shut.

* * *

Alex greeted Millie as she walked into the kitchen, sipping a tea. He could tell she was coming down from a high, but wasn't about to start attacking her about that. "Morning."

"Hey." She offered him a small smile, tugging the pantry door open in search of food.

Alex watched her, leaning against the bench as he sipped his coffee. "How are you feeling?"

Millie shrugged, pulling out a bag of corn chips. "I'm okay. How are you?"

"Why did you agree to the job?" The question slipped from his mouth before he could stop himself. He had been wanting to ask her about it for a while now, but hadn't had the chance.

"Money. Chance to hone my skills. Thrill of it." She shrugged, looking over her shoulder at him as she heard him let out a heavy sigh. "What?"

Alex finished his coffee, putting his mug in the sink and muttering under his breath. "Nothing."

"No, spit it out." She snapped at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It's a stupid idea." Alex raked a hand through his hair, turning to face her. He didn't want to pick a fight with her, but he also didn't think she knew exactly what she was getting herself into, and he didn't want to see her hurt. "You're going to get yourself killed."

"The boys haven't." Millie reasoned with him. They had been doing it most of their lives and all of them were still alive. "Come on, Alex. You know I'm smart."

Alex shook his head. "Smart doesn't always cut it."

"It's just some hacking." She assured him, resting a hand on his arm. "Don't be mad at Deran about this."

"He put your name forward." He was mad at him for that. She had a great set of skills, sure, but she wasn't experienced when it came to crime, and neither was he.

"He thought I was good enough, okay?" Millie dropped her gaze from his, looking down at her feet. "I know this is probably the dad instinct in you or something, but honestly, I'll be alright."

Alex sighed heavily, kissing her cheek gently and rubbing her arm. He knew he wasn't going to able to talk her out of it, so he was just going to have to accept it. "Alright."


	7. Family Additions (M)

**Chapter Seven: Family Additions**

* * *

 **A/N: With the new season just about here, we thought it was about time for an update! This chapter has some fun parts, but also some things you should keep an eye on...such as the Lawrence family, they're sticking around for sure ;) Also there are some surprises that are gonna shake things up for sure! As usual, we thrive on feedback, so reviews would be amazing.**

* * *

Millie was preparing food in the kitchen when she felt someone slip their arms around her from behind. She jumped, before glancing over her shoulder and realising that it was just Craig. Of course it was. Who else could it have been? It had been hectic at work lately, and a night in with her boyfriend was absolutely what Millie needed.

"Hey, babe." He kissed her cheek, curiously inspecting what she was making. "What's for dinner?"

"Nachos."

"Yum." Craig spun her to face him, running a hand up her thigh and making her gasp. "But I'd rather eat you."

"Oh really?" Millie raised her eyebrows, a little surprised. Craig was always open about what he wanted, but she usually had to prompt him a bit to eat her out.

Craig picked her up and set her on the benchtop, making her giggle. He made quick work of tugging her dress up and sliding her undies down her legs as she watched him with a sense of anticipation. Craig spread her legs and kissed along her thigh before pushing two fingers into her, making her gasp. He pumped his fingers several times before replacing them with his tongue, making Millie moan loudly.

She fisted a hand in his dark hair as he continued to pleasure her. She hooked her legs over his shoulders, bucking her hips involuntarily. Millie let her head fall back as she succumbed to the things he made her feel, his tongue working it magic. Damn, he was good at giving head. Some guys were sloppy about it, but Craig…

"Fuck," she murmured, before crying out as she reaches her orgasm. Craig set down her shaking legs and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand as she lay back against the bench, panting. "I always forget how good you are at that."

Craig winked. "I'll try to make sure you don't forget."

Millie smirked, slipping her undies back on and sliding off the bench. She wondered if there was some kind of ulterior motive, but Craig didn't ask for a blow job. Maybe he was just in a good mood and felt like being generous.

"Now, I want nachos." Craig's eyes lit up at the sight of the food on the bench.

Millie couldn't help but laugh. Any form of sexual activity usually made her feel hungry too.

"Same."

* * *

Pool parties at Smurf's place seemed to be getting bigger now that she was in business with Rico Lawrence. It hadn't escaped Millie's attention that his daughter Cameron was becoming quite close with Baz. She sipped a cider and watched the pair talking from where she was sitting at the edge of the pool in a white bikini.

A multitude of small children were tearing about the place at breakneck speed. Millie thought most of them belonged to Robbie, Rico's youngest kid. He was Alex's age, but he was married with three children already. Millie didn't even know how she'd handle one child let alone three of them.

Someone hoisted her up, taking the cider from her and tossing her into the water. Spluttering, she glared up and was not astonished at all to realise it had been Craig, who was grinning down at her with his arms folded over his chest, pleased with himself.

"Craig!"

"I love it when you scream my name."

The blonde huffed and hauled herself out of the pool. Craig looped his arms around her waist and tugged her in for a kiss, but she drew back, raising her eyebrows at his presumption.

"I don't think so. You pushed me in the pool."

Craig looked her up and down. "You look good wet."

Millie rolled her eyes, flouncing over to Alex and Deran. They'd been chatting with an olive-skinned man around their age who Millie assumed must be Robbie. She hadn't interacted with him much just yet, but she'd heard from Alex that he was a decent guy.

"You look like a drowned rat," Deran stated, arching his eyebrows. Charming as always, but that what was Millie had come to expect after a decade of friendship. "Also, white was a bad idea."

Millie folded her arms over her chest. "I look hot, thank you very much."

"Yeah you do," Craig agreed, like any of them had expected him to pipe up in disagreement.

"Craig, honestly, you could be more subtle," Deran chastised. "Quit staring at her like you're about to go at it here and now."

"Why?" Craig asked, making no attempt to deny the accusation.

Deran gestured around. "Because it's a public space. Go do that shit in your room."

"Oh no, that's not happening right now." Millie wrung water out of her hair and grabbed the closest towel, wrapping it around herself. "Craig and I are enjoying the pool party way too much."

"How are you finding the work so far?" Deran lowered his voice so that no one passing by could hear what they were discussing.

Millie shrugged her shoulders. She'd done a few warm-up exercises here and there, mainly shifting money from one account to another. They wanted to know how good she was, and if they could trust her. She'd convinced the boys of the former, but she was still working on the latter, especially when it came to Baz and Pope.

"Hey, we aren't here to talk business." Craig slipped an arm around Millie's waist. "We're here to have fun. We can chat about all of that another time, right?"

Deran shook his head slowly, taking a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of his pocket. He lit up and blew smoke in his brother's direction.

"Sure thing. Chill out, Craig."

"I am _very_ chill." Craig smacked Millie's ass, making her narrow her eyes at him. "I'm going to get a beer."

* * *

Alex looked up from his drink, where he was hunched over laughing thanks to Robbie, to come face to face with Deran who was staring down at him. "Hey."

"Hey, man." Robbie smiled up at the other man as well, brushing his hair from his eyes.

"Robbie, right?" Deran remembered the other man being mentioned before, but he had never formally met him.

Robbie nodded in confirmation, offering his hand. "Yeah. Deran?"

"That's right. How do you and Alex know each other?" Deran had seen how the two males were interacting, so he knew they were definitely well acquainted.

"School." Robbie answered, finishing off the beer in his hand as one of his kids ran past, shooting him with a water gun.

Alex laughed as he watched his friend swearing in Spanish before turning back to Deran. "Yeah, we were in the same year."

"Five minutes and she'll be yelling." Robbie muttered under his breath, shaking his head before raking his now wet hair out of his face.

Deran raised an eyebrow at the remark. "Who?"

"His wife." Alex explained, feeling no sympathy for the children who were currently terrorising everyone.

"How many have you got? Kids, not wives." Deran sipped his own beer, glancing around the party before looking back to Alex who was watching him with raised eyebrows.

"Three." Robbie told him, looking over to his wife who was moment away from losing her shit.

"Cute." Deran nodded, watching as Robbie got to his feet, said a quick goodbye and moved over towards his wife in an attempt to calm her down. He glanced back to Alex who was on to his second beer, happily stretched out in the sun. "You have friends?"

Alex rolled his eyes, flicking his sunglasses down from his head to cover his eyes. "Well, yeah."

* * *

If there was one thing Alex had not been expecting while he made his morning coffee, it was for his ex-girlfriend to show up at his door unannounced. The two had not ended on good terms, with Rose dumping him with Ami before fucking off to god knows where. That was close to when he and Millie had moved in together, which he was grateful for. He wasn't sure how he would have been able to raise his kid without his best friends help or his mother's help.

"Hi, Alex." Rose greeted him, pushing a strand of her dark auburn hair from her eyes.

Alex awkwardly ran a hand through his hair, glancing over his shoulder at Millie who was sitting on the kitchen bench in one of Craig's shirts and her underwear. "Rose. Hey."

"How have you been?" Rose asked, shuffling from one foot to the other, clearly uncomfortable being in the situation she was currently in.

"Good. Come in." Alex stepped aside to let her in, closing the door behind her.

"Hey, Rose." Millie greeted with a smile, sipping her coffee.

Alex shook his head as Rose looked between them, raising a questioning eyebrow. "There's nothing going on between us."

Millie shook her head, nearly spitting out her coffee. "No way. Been there, done that."

"Want some coffee?" Alex questioned, wanting to change the subject as quickly as possible before it turned more awkward.

Rose nodded, setting her bag down on the table. "Sure."

"What're you doing here?" Alex asked as he handed her one, wanting to know why she had suddenly shown up with no warning.

"I wanted to see Ami." She explained, sipping her coffee. "I shouldn't have left her."

"No. You shouldn't have. But you did." Alex snapped, his tone coming across harsher than he intended, not that she deserved niceties in his opinion.

Rose frowned at him, setting her cup down on the bench and crossing her arms. "I'm her mum, I want to see her."

"You gave up any right to see her when you bailed." Alex argued with her, glancing at Millie as she touched his arm gently.

Before it could escalate further, Craig wandered out of Millie's bedroom, wrapping his arms around her from behind and kissing her cheek.

Millie smiled at the interaction, glancing over her shoulder at him. "Hey, baby."

"Morning." Craig greeted, glancing across at Rose before looking over to see Deran had finally dragged himself from bed as well.

"This is Rose, Alex's ex." Millie introduced, beating Alex to it.

Alex raised an eyebrow at the look Deran was giving him, "What? How do you think Ami was created?"

"Well initially I assumed Millie." Deran answered, glancing over at his brother and Millie.

Alex shook his head, turning back to his ex. "Rose. You should go."

Rose clenched her jaw, but didn't argue as she grabbed her bag. "Alright. Fine."

"We can talk later." Alex told her, handing her his number as he led her to the door, not wanting to deal with the fallout of the morning, but knowing it was inevitable.

"Alex?" Deran followed the other man into his room, noting that Alex was clearly annoyed.

Alex looked over his shoulder before continuing to make the bed. "Yeah?"

"What was all that?" Deran asked, shutting the door and leaning against it.

Alex shrugged. He wasn't really sure as to why Rose had really shown up, and he wasn't looking forward to having to talk to her again now that she was back. "I wasn't expecting her to just rock up."

"Yeah I can tell." Deran crossed his arms over his chest, watching Alex as he cleaned his room. "Think she'll be back?"

"Probably." Alex shrugged, glancing over at him. "No need to get jealous."

"Why would I be jealous?" Deran frowned, not sure why Alex would think that he would be jealous over his ex rocking up.

Alex rolled his eyes, chucking the pillows back onto the bed from where they had ended up on the floor. "Because if I even flirt with another guy you get jealous."

"You're the one who fucked Millie to get at me." Deran reminded him, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"We weren't in a relationship. We were fucking." Alex snapped back at him, narrowing his eyes. "You're the one who was scared to label what we were. You still are."

"Well who cares now your precious baby mama is back, right?" Deran threw up his hands, raking a hand through his hair as it fell into his eyes.

"Yeah, you're right. Doesn't matter that she left me, because she sure as hell cared more about me than you ever have." Alex ground out, crossing his arms over his chest as his temper finally snapped.

"Then why'd she leave?" Deran retorted, knowing if she cared that much that she wouldn't have left.

Alex clenched his jaw at the comment, tugging his bedroom door open. "Get out."

"Gladly." Deran muttered as he stormed past, with Alex slamming the door behind him.

* * *

"Awkward," Craig muttered, glancing at Millie, "What happened there?"

"Rose left Ami with Alex soon after she was born." Millie had heard the whole story. She had never really liked Alex's ex, and she couldn't say that impression had changed much after meeting the woman. Leaving a baby with a guy without much of an explanation…it was a shitty move.

"She broke his heart," Craig said, an astute statement for a guy who usually didn't have a clue.

"She sure did." Millie leaned against the bench. "It was after that when he and I first slept together. You know, rebound kinda thing."

The nature of the relationship had been clear from the get-go. Millie had never expected Alex to be her boyfriend. They were just roommates that fucked. It had never bothered either of them, and neither of them had ever hoped it would become something more. They kept it casual and she was happy they had.

"Well, at least you two are good friends," Craig pointed out, "Think he's okay?"

Millie shook her head. "Nope."

"We should take him out," Craig suggested.

"I think it's best if I do." Millie didn't like to discuss his ex, and the fact that she'd just rocked up unexpectedly was bound to bring up painful memories. She didn't think that Alex wanted people who didn't know the story around.

"Okay." Craig raised his eyebrows. "Need any cash?"

"No, I'm okay." Millie grinned when Craig slid his arms around her waist and held her close. He was oddly affectionate with her, something that Deran had informed her was definitely not typical of his older brother. He was hooked, and they both knew it. "You're like a big teddy bear."

"Shut up," Craig said playfully, an odd look coming into his eyes as he looked down at her. "I love you."

Millie frowned. Whatever she'd been anticipating, it hadn't been that. She and Craig had only been seeing each other for a few months, and apparently he usually got bored right about now. She had certainly not been expecting him to drop the "L" word bomb on her.

"What?"

"Fuck." Craig drew back, raking a hand through his hair. "Too soon?"

"No, it's okay," Millie assured him. She wasn't ready to say it back just yet, and she hoped that it wouldn't mess Craig up when he realised that she hadn't returned the sentiment. Luckily, they were saved that particular drama by Deran's entrance as he stalked out of Alex's room. "Deran?"

"Leave it, Millie," he snapped, marching for the front door and wrenching it open with some force. She knew him well enough to know that pushing him when he was in one of his moods wasn't going to go down.

"How'd you fuck up this time?" Craig asked.

"Forget it, okay?" Deran stalked out the front door, causing Millie and Craig to exchange looks. Obviously, some sort of argument had erupted between him and Alex. Craig got the hint from Millie's pointed look.

"I'll talk to him."

She heaved a sigh of relief as he followed his younger brother out. Not only would it help Deran sort his shit out, but she also hoped that this new drama would make Craig forget that she hadn't said 'I love you' back. She'd get there eventually, now just really wasn't that time. She wasn't the kind of person to say something she didn't mean, so when she did say it, she wanted to mean it wholeheartedly.

* * *

Millie walked out of the bathroom, knees trembling and hands shaking. She'd suspected something was up when she'd missed her period, which was always like clockwork. A test had confirmed what she suspected – she was pregnant. She had been angry at herself for not being more careful with Craig, and then became determined to find a solution for her predicament. First of all, she needed to talk this over with someone.

"Alex?" Millie headed into the lounge room. Her roommate paused the game he was playing, glancing over his shoulder at her. "Can we talk?"

"Sure." Alex patted the spot beside him, and Millie sat heavily on the couch. "What's up."

"I'm pregnant." She played with her hands. Somehow, just saying the words made it seem that much more real and terrifying. "Um, I don't know what to do."

"Talk to Craig," Alex insisted. She'd been afraid that he might say something like that, and she honestly wasn't sure how a confrontation with her boyfriend would go.

"I think I should just book an appointment." Millie knew how immature Craig could be, and doubted that he wanted a baby on his plate right now. He still had a lot of growing up to do himself. Quietly getting an abortion seemed like it would be her best option. She could just pretend it'd never happened.

"No, Millie." Alex's voice was stern. "If you don't tell him, I will."

Her head jerked up at that. "He isn't going to want a baby, Alex."

"Just ask." Alex watched as she rubbed her arms even though it definitely wasn't cold. "Millie. He deserves to know. It's his kid too."

"I guess so," she murmured. She was scared of how all of this was going to go down. Although Craig had said that he loved her, he'd probably go running once she told him about this. She'd had a couple of scares in the past but she'd never had a confirmed pregnancy until now. Millie had no idea how to deal with it. Telling the baby's dad didn't seem like it'd do much except cause tension in their relationship.

What did she want? It was something that Millie hadn't given much thought. She was twenty-two years old and she hadn't even finished her degree yet. Could she handle having a kid? Was she emotionally and financially prepared for a child? They were all questions that she didn't know how to answer and realised that maybe she did need Craig's input after all. She couldn't ahead with anything with him being in the dark.

Fishing her phone out of her pocket, Millie wiped her eyes and went into Craig's contact details. She had her finger poised over the button, ready to call him and say that they needed to talk, but then she locked her phone. She pressed her hands over her mouth and choked back a sob as Alex rubbed her back. She needed some time to process this herself. Once she was calmer, she could go to Craig with the news and an open mind about how the situation might be handled.


	8. Choices

**Chapter Eight: Choices**

* * *

 **A/N: So it's been about year, time for an update right? With the new season just around the corner, it'd be great if you let us know what you think! Feedback is always appreciated.**

* * *

Deran was at Alex's door early. He knew that he'd been a dick, but the truth was that he'd been scared. He was worried that Alex would choose Rose, the mother of his daughter, over him. He raked a hand through his hair, glancing around impatiently before Alex opened the door. His partner didn't look impressed – not that Deran could really blame him.

"Alex? Can we talk?"

The dark-haired man hesitated a moment. "Okay."

Deran followed Alex into the house, relieved to see that Millie wasn't around. She was his friend, but this was a discussion he needed to have with Alex in private. He watched in silence as Alex sat about making himself a coffee, and it wasn't until he'd taken the first sip that Deran finally spoke again.

"I'm sorry about the shit I said. I didn't mean it. I fucked up. I'm good at that."

"You didn't fuck up," Alex assured him, setting the mug down on the bench. He didn't sound like he was taking the piss.

"I didn't?" Deran was surprised. He'd constantly been told most of his life by someone or another that he was a fuck-up, and he'd always assumed it would eventually impact upon his relationship with Alex.

"I was an ass as well," Alex admitted, raking a hand through his brown curls.

"Do you really still love her?" Deran had to know the truth about Alex's feelings for Rose. He didn't just want to be someone's second option, and he was afraid that Alex might not be over Rose. They'd had a kid together, after all, and a kid was pretty damn permanent.

"I did once," Alex confessed, staring down into his coffee mug, "She was the first person I loved."

Deran nodded slowly. "Then she left you."

Alex shrugged his shoulders. "Pretty much."

"I'm sorry, that sucks." Deran's most recent ex, Adrian, had realised their relationship with something toxic. They'd parted ways on a mutual understanding that it was over, but it sounded like whatever had happened with Alex and Rose was messier than that.

"I have you now." Alex took a deep breath, his mug clunking loudly as he tossed it into the empty sink. "There's something else I need to tell you. Millie is pregnant."

Deran frowned. Whatever he'd been expecting, it hadn't been that. He knew that Millie was usually careful with birth control. He also knew that she and Craig were in a committed and exclusive relationship now, meaning that he was the baby's dad. It seemed weird to him – Millie was only in her early twenties, although Julia had been younger when she'd had J.

"Wait, what?"

Alex sighed. "She told me the other day."

"Well, shit." Deran didn't really know how to process the news that he might be an uncle again. Sure Lena counted, but J was grown up. It would be weird to have a biological niece or nephew that young. "How far along?"

"Probably only a month or two." Alex leaned against the bench, folding his arms over his chest. "She wants to get rid of it, without telling Craig."

"She needs to tell him." Deran shook his head fervently. He knew Millie well enough to realise that her decision was based on fear of what Craig would think, not that she didn't want a baby. "Craig is a moron, but they've been together a little while."

Alex nodded in agreement. "I know. I told her that."

"Maybe I should talk to him," Deran suggested. He and Craig were close, and maybe it would soften the blow if he already knew that it was coming. Craig was immature, sure, but he was head over heels for Millie.

"Let her talk to him," Alex insisted.

* * *

"Hey Millie!" Garrett called enthusiastically as she entered the games store for her shift. Ever since she'd discovered she was pregnant, she'd realised that was probably contributing to her feeling perpetually tired. Nonetheless, even with her less than legal activities with the Codys, she didn't want to give up her job – especially not considering she got such sweet discounts.

"Hey, how's it been this morning?" Millie dumped her bag in the staff room, swept her hair into a ponytail and joined her manager at the register.

"Not too bad, actually." Garrett examined her critically. "You're still dating Craig Cody, right?"

"Yeah," Millie admitted cautiously, wondering where this was going. She shouldn't have been surprised – the Codys were pretty renowned throughout Oceanside. Garrett was probably about the same age as her boyfriend.

"You know they're not always good news," Garrett busied himself looking up stock in the system so that he didn't need to meet Millie's gaze. She glared at him nonetheless.

"I don't really need a pep talk about who I choose to be in a relationship with, Garrett."

"A relationship?" Garrett's brown eyes widened. "I thought you were just dating. Craig Cody – well, you know. He's the sort who doesn't really get into relationships. He just uses girls and drops them for the next one."

It was the sort of talk that made Millie uncomfortable. She ignored Garrett, going through their sales target for the day. If this was how Garrett talked about her being a relationship with Craig, what would he say if he knew that she was pregnant? Millie felt nauseous, although she didn't know if that was because of the topic of conversation or because of the baby.

"You've gone pale," Garrett noted, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Millie's voice was little more than a whisper, "I just don't really want to talk about this."

"I just worry about you." Garrett touched her arm. "I don't want you getting hurt."

Millie shrugged away from him. "I can look after myself."

It was the truth. She'd had to deal with creeps in the past – sometimes admittedly with Alex's help – but she'd never had any trouble in taking care of herself. Craig was possibly the most harmless of the Cody brothers. Millie cared about him, she really did, but he wasn't always the brightest spark. She doubted he'd intentionally do something malicious towards her.

Millie forced herself to focus on work. She could question her relationship with Craig – and how he was going to feel about the baby – later on. Yet Garrett's concern shook her slightly, no matter how much time she spent denying it.

* * *

Millie swung open the door when someone knocked insistently, not overly surprised to see Craig standing there. She felt nervous – she still hadn't told him about her condition, and she was worried about how he would react when she did. For a few moments, the only sound was that of the waves crashing over the shore at the nearby beach.

"Can we talk?"

"Sure." Millie pushed the door open wider, letting Craig head in. Once she sat down on the lounge and saw him pacing, she realised with horror that he must know something. Why else would he be so agitated?

"You're pregnant?"

She frowned. "Who told you?"

"It doesn't matter who." Craig threw his hands up, evidently frustrated by the fact she hadn't trusted him enough to disclose the information herself. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why do you think, Craig?" Millie eased herself up off the couch, eyes narrowing. "Because you, wanting a baby? Really? It was just better if I handled it."

"You're not getting rid of it." Craig folded his arms over his chest, his tone firm and decisive. "It's my kid too."

"You want a baby?" Millie raised her eyebrows, astonished. She had expected Craig to want her to go ahead with an abortion. Heaving a sigh, she let her head fall back against the lounge. "So, what are we meant to do about this, play happy families?"

"Millie."

She couldn't help but smile a little. "Craig."

He shrugged his shoulders. "It's up to you."

"No, it isn't," she reminded him, as he'd only stated moments before that he didn't want her getting rid of the kid. "As you said, it's your baby too."

"I told you my opinion." He examined her expectantly. "Yours?"

"I don't know." Millie chewed at her lip. She had a lot going on in her life without factoring in a kid. Then there was the lifestyle the Codys left. Did she really want a kid involved in something like that? Would it be selfish to bring a baby into that sort of world? "I still need to finish my school."

"We can do this," Craig assured her. The fact that he was so adamant about this bolstered Millie slightly – he was in his late twenties, and probably had considered it when Alex or Deran or whoever had told him the news.

"You really want to be a dad?" Millie tilted her head to the side. This wasn't a game. It was a lifelong commitment, having a kid. She didn't want either of them to be making that decision lightly. "It's a big responsibility."

"I can handle it."

Millie glanced down as something tugged at her shirt. She realised it was Amelie, the kid reaching out her arms for Millie to pick her up. The blonde did so without question, smiling and rubbing Amelie's back as the little girl rested her head on her shoulder.

"You want a cookie?" She headed into the kitchen as Amelie nodded vehemently, reaching into the cookie jar and handing the kid a choc chip biscuit. Amelie immediately laid into it, showering the place with cookie crumbs.

"You're good with kids," Craig remarked as Millie set Amelie down. She shrugged, not wanting him to automatically assume it meant she was going to be a good mum. Amelie wasn't hers – she could give the kid back anytime.

"I'm used to Ami."

"Mills." Craig stepped forward, resting his hands on her shoulders. "We can give this a go."

* * *

Craig had been sitting through the entirety of breakfast waiting to figure out how to break it to Smurf that he was going to be having a kid. He knew his mum thought he was immature and irresponsible, and he wanted to prove that being with Millie had changed him for the better. Nonetheless, he wasn't expecting Smurf to be thrilled with the fact that Craig had gotten his girlfriend of only a few months knocked up.

"I have news."

Smurf glanced at him from where she stood guard over the bacon. "Yes, baby?"

Craig swallowed hard. "Millie is pregnant."

"What?" Smurf flipped the bacon onto the plate, folding her arms over her chest and staring hard at her middle son. "I thought you two were using protection."

"We were. It was an accident."

Smurf arched an eyebrow. "What are you gonna do about it?"

"We're going to keep it," Craig responded, although he already had the feeling he knew how the conversation would go from here. Smurf didn't think he was responsible enough to handle himself let alone a kid.

"Are you sure you're prepared for that, sweetie?" Her tone was condescending.

"No." Craig shrugged. It was the truth – neither of them had even been in a serious relationship before let alone considering parenthood. "But she's moving in with me and we're gonna do our best. None of us were planned, and you did okay."

It was part of why Craig figured he was going to be alright. All of Smurf's kids had deadbeat dads, and he didn't plan to be like that. Becoming a dad was terrifying and exciting all at once. He'd have to cut back on the alcohol and the drugs, but figured having a little kid with Millie would make it worth it.

"That's true." Smurf smiled wryly as Craig started to dig in to his breakfast. "Do you know if it's a boy or girl yet?"

"Not yet. She's not far enough in." Craig finished his bacon and looked at Smurf. "I'm gonna ask her to marry me."

"Excuse me?" Smurf looked astounded.

"It makes sense." It was something he'd been considering for a little while, since Millie had told him about the baby. He knew they didn't have to be married to have a kid, but he thought why the hell not? It wasn't like they'd have a typical lame-ass wedding in any case.

"Craig, are you thinking straight?"

"I'm sober, if that's what you're asking." The idea had come to him when he'd been drinking, but he'd still considered it once he'd sobered up again.

Smurf didn't look convinced. "Marriage is a big step."

He shrugged. "So is a baby."

"So you wanna do both?" Smurf sighed, running her fingers through her short blonde hair. "I just don't want you to rush into anything."

"I'm not. I spoke to Baz about it and everything."

Baz was definitely the most reasonable of Craig's brothers. He knew that Deran would have laughed him out of the house, and Pope would say whatever he had to in order to make Craig shut up about it. Baz had rolled his eyes when Craig had told him of his predicament, but hadn't made any judgements – especially not when he'd fathered a kid of his own at a lot younger than Craig was now.

Smurf still didn't appear too impressed. "What did Baz say?"

Craig grinned. "He said I was an idiot, but that if it felt right, to do it."

"You're a grown man, baby." Smurf started collecting up dishes, her dismissive tone indicating that she was done with the conversation. "It's your decision."

"Do you like her?"

"Millie?" Smurf glanced at him as she started piling dishes in the sink. "Of course I do. She's a good girl."

Craig was grateful for that. He knew that Smurf wasn't a huge fan of Catherine, and didn't know how he'd feel bringing a woman into the family if she was going to get shit from Smurf all the time. Millie was a part of their world now – helping them, doing work for Rico. Now with a baby on the way, she was a Cody in all but name…for now, anyway.

* * *

Millie padded out into the lounge room to see that Alex was already set up and gaming, not that it surprised her. Gaming, surfing and seeing Deran were the three activities he mainly got up to on his days off when Amelie was at his mum's. She ran her fingers through her blonde hair, raking it out of her face.

"Hey. How long do we have left on our lease again?"

"Maybe a month." Alex tore his gaze from the TV to look at her, pausing his game. "Why?"

Millie rubbed her arms. "I was wondering how you'd feel if I moved out."

"It makes sense," Alex said, and she was grateful that he understood. They'd lived together for a while now, but with Millie and Craig getting serious and a baby on the way, things were definitely starting to change.

"I'd go to Craig's."

"I know." He patted the spot beside him on the couch and she sat down. "It's a good thing, Mills."

She glanced over at the rabbit pen. "I'd bring Cinnamon and Charcoal."

"They're your rabbits." He could obviously sense that she was a little unnerved by such big changes, because he rubbed her back. "It's okay, Mills. You were gonna leave sooner or later."

She grinned. "You're gonna miss me."

"I'll visit," he insisted, although they both knew they'd see each other all the time regardless, "Ami will miss you more."

"She'll be okay." Millie cast a look around the apartment that had been her home since she'd still been a teenager. "It's just weird. I've lived here for ages."

"You'll be happy with Craig," Alex said.

Millie crawled into his lap and snuggled up close to him. She was going to miss this, just the two of them goofing around and generally being best friends. Sure they'd slept together, but that didn't make their friendship any less valid.

"You're being cute," Alex's tone was almost accusatory.

"I'm always cute." After a moment's thought, she glanced at him. "Do you trust Craig?"

"I do." He frowned, perturbed by the question. "Why? Don't you?"

"I do." Millie wouldn't be having his kid if she didn't. "I just know you don't trust many of the guys I've seen."

"Craig is different. I like him."


	9. Hitting The Jackpot

**Chapter Nine: Hitting The Jackpot**

* * *

 **A/N: So, we've reached the end of Season 1 - and there's a bit more about Millie and Alex coming to light ;) Sit tight because there's going to be a lot of interesting stuff coming in Season 2!**

* * *

Pregnancy was progressing way too quickly for Millie's liking. She'd moved in with Craig, which was a milestone in itself. She'd never lived with a partner before, and it had been a bit emotional to part ways with Alex when they'd lived together for so long. She was beginning to get a very obvious bump, and she'd been forced to tell both her friends at college and her co-workers about her pregnancy.

Millie woke to Craig running his fingers through her hair and the sun glinting through the gap in the blinds. It was weird to even be sharing a bed with someone, although over the past month and a bit she'd gotten used to it. She kept expecting that Craig would freak out and change his mind once the physical evidence of her pregnancy came up, but so far, he'd stuck with her.

"Morning," he said.

Millie checked the time and stretched contentedly when she realised that she still had a few more hours to go before her shift – at the games store, that was. She was also doing work for Rico's gang, as well as small projects for the Cody family. It was obvious that Baz still didn't trust her.

Craig rolled onto his side and fidgeted around beside the bed for something. Millie watched with mild interest, before her curiosity was piqued when he drew out a small black box. She frowned. Surely it couldn't be what she thought it was?

"What's this?" she asked suspiciously.

Craig just grinned. "Open it."

Millie did as instructed, speechless as she examined the glittering ring inside. She knew that things were progressing quickly in her relationship with Craig – she certainly hadn't expected to become pregnant with his baby so quickly. But this was another big step, and one she wasn't sure she was ready for.

"Marry me?" he asked, and she could see the self-doubt written on his face. He was totally expecting that she would freak out and say no.

"Are you serious?" She chose her words carefully. She didn't want to laugh at him, but she didn't want Craig rushing into something that he wasn't certain about. She was his first proper girlfriend and although marriage was a logical step, it didn't have to happen. Smurf had never been married to any of her kids' fathers, as far as Millie was aware.

He nodded emphatically. "Yes."

"Umm…okay." She stared down at the ring, watching how it caught the sunlight. She was thrilled of course, but she didn't really know how to voice all of the emotions she was feeling about this.

"That's a yes?" Craig asked.

It took Millie a moment to process everything. She didn't want to say something that she would regret, but she supposed she was having a kid with this guy, after all. She nodded slowly.

"Yeah. It is."

Craig's expression broke into a relieved grin. He leaned in and kissed her, and she kissed back, snuggling close and basking in this moment of bliss. As she shifted back down beneath the covers, Craig slipped the ring onto Millie's finger.

"I should probably meet your dad."

Millie tensed. "He's…you don't need to meet him."

She and her dad didn't have a great relationship. It could have been a lot worse, and she knew it. But that didn't mean she wanted him back in her life just because she was engaged and having a baby. Craig was quiet for a moment, toying with a strand of her blonde hair.

"Mills? Why don't you want me to meet him?"

She shrugged, trying to sound casual. "I just don't talk to him much."

Craig traced his fingers over her bump, wisely choosing not to pursue the topic. For a few minutes there was a peaceful silence between them. Millie hadn't ever thought she'd be engaged and pregnant at twenty-two, especially not to someone like Craig Cody. But Craig had surprised her so far.

"I should be able to find out what the gender is, if we want to know," Millie said. She personally knew she was curious as to what they were having, but wouldn't ruin it for Craig if he wanted it to be a surprise.

Craig shrugged. "We need to plan the baby's room."

"So we want to know gender?"

"Yeah." It was a simple statement. Millie could almost be convinced that was what this was – easy. But she knew the sort of family the Codys really were, and when it came to them, nothing was ever really simple.

* * *

"No way are we using her for this job." Baz shook his head vehemently.

It was yet another discussion regarding Millie and her involvement in the criminal activities of the family. Even Pope had started to warm to the idea, so what was Baz's issue? Craig couldn't get why Baz had it out for Millie. Hitting the military base was a big job, but they needed someone to deal with the cameras – and Millie was the perfect person for it.

"Yo, what is your problem with her?" Craig threw up his arms. He got not trusting outsiders, but this was getting ridiculous. Not to mention Baz couldn't talk – it was so obvious that he'd started sleeping with Cameron, Rico's daughter. That was bound to cause trouble when Cath found out. At least Craig was done fucking around with other girls now that he was committed to Millie and their baby.

"We don't need her for this," Baz argued, "We're already trusting Paul Belmont, adding someone else into this is just too much."

"Millie is family," Craig insisted. It hadn't been his decision to bring Paul Belmont – the father of J's now ex-girlfriend Nicky – into the picture. That had been on Baz. Millie was a lot more trustworthy than that asshole.

"Quit thinking with your dick, Craig."

"I'm not!"

"Will both of you shut the hell up?" Deran snapped, glaring between the pair of them. "Baz, I know you want this to be tight, but Craig is right. We could use Millie's help to avoid surveillance. If they run facial recognition and pick us up later on…"

Baz heaved a sigh, not that he should really be surprised that Deran was siding with Craig. The two agreed on most things. Craig couldn't help but grin. He knew that Millie was pregnant, but it wasn't like she was going to be doing anything actively dangerous for the baby.

"Fine. She's in." Baz's tone indicated that he was less than impressed. "But I swear to god, if there's a single fuck-up on this job…"

"Yeah, yeah, never again." Craig rolled his eyes. The loose cannon was Paul Belmont, not Millie.

"Besides, we've got other problems." Baz stared pointedly at Deran, who looked around the room with a bewildered expression.

"The fuck are you looking at me for?"

"Because you're the one dating Alex Wilson."

"Yeah, so?" Once upon a time, Deran would have outright denied it in an attempt to disguise his sexuality. But his relationship with Alex, while not openly admitted, was common knowledge among the Cody family.

"So his mum is Dayna Wilson," Baz continued.

Deran was growing more irritated by the moment. "Congrats, you know his mum's name. I haven't even met the lady. So what?"

"So she's a fucking cop, Deran."

The room was tense and silent. Craig didn't know how much Deran had relayed to Alex about his criminal activities, but he knew that Alex wasn't stupid. Had he told his mum shit about them? How much did Dayna know? Craig was beginning to understand that Baz's problem wasn't just with Millie, but also with Alex. An outsider was one thing, an outsider connected to the police was another.

"If Alex had said shit to her, we'd know."

"Would we?" Baz folded his arms over his chest. "How do you know she's not just waiting for something like this to catch us out?"

Deran raked a hand through his hair. "You're being paranoid, man."

"Alex is legit," Craig agreed, knowing that the guy likely hadn't said anything about their jobs or about what Millie was doing. Exposing them would also be exposing Millie – and if Alex didn't care enough about Deran, he definitely did about Millie. "He's not gonna get Millie thrown in prison. Or Deran."

Baz's expression was stern. "I hope you're right about that. Because if there's even a sign he might go to his mum…"

"You'll what?" Deran stepped in front of him, all bravado and attitude. "You're gonna fuck him up? Kill him?"

"No, man." Baz shook his head, shoulders slumping a little as he sighed. "You know I don't wanna do any of that. We just need to watch our backs. For now, that means Alex knows as little as possible. Tell Millie the same."

* * *

Millie liked the Lawrence family. Sure, she knew that they were invested in crime as well – Rico Lawrence had built a bigger criminal empire than Smurf and her boys – but they were always friendly to her. Cameron had her own shit going on as well as the family business. Robbie was pretty cool, although Alex joked that the guy had another kid every time they saw him. It wasn't a lie – Robbie had three kids under five.

"What's it like?" Millie asked as she watched Robbie wrestling his sulking two-year-old daughter into her highchair.

She sat over on the computer working on Rico's latest project involving traffic surveillance. The way Rico put it, it would sometimes be easier for his guys to get jobs done if there were glitches to the traffic lights. The folders were all assigned with dates, and some of them involved traffic incidents from up to a few years before. The aim was to make sure the light outages caused as little hassle as possible.

"You mean being a parent?" Robbie glanced across at Millie, at the prominent bump of her stomach. It would only be a few months now before she had the baby. She and Craig had figured out the kid was going to be a boy, and just needed to finalise a name for him. They still had a bit of time for that, which Millie was grateful for. The ring on her finger hadn't escaped anyone's notice either, least of all Smurf's.

"Yeah." Millie shrugged her shoulders. "I mean, you've been a parent since you were younger than me. You make it look easy."

"You get used to it," Robbie admitted, walking over and flopping on the lounge across from her as his daughter fussed over her food. "When my first kid was born, I was terrified. Didn't think I could do it. But it sort of comes naturally after that."

Millie couldn't help but smile a little. She'd be twenty-three by the time her son was born in a few months, and Craig would be twenty-eight. They were by no means super young to be parents. Yet somehow, she wondered if they were making the right choice. None of the fathers of Smurf's boys were around. She really hoped that Craig didn't decide to ditch last minute. She knew Alex would kill him if he did.

Millie's own mum hadn't done much parenting since the divorce. She'd moved back to the UK and had nothing to do with the family. She didn't want to be that sort of mother. If she was going to have this baby, she would be dedicated to him. She wouldn't let Smurf turn him into another J. She wouldn't let her get into his head. Her son would be able to make his own choice, free from fear.

"What do you think you'd do if your dad wasn't a crime lord?" Millie asked softly.

Robbie shrugged. "Don't know. I do a lot of the paperwork for him, but he never forces me to do anything I'm not comfortable with."

Millie's initial impression of Smurf was of a doting mother, but now she realised just how much control she had over her sons. Maybe that was why she clashed with Baz's wife Catherine, who didn't approve of Smurf trying to run the show her way. What would Smurf do, Millie wondered, if she believed Craig was more dedicated to his fiancé and his baby than to her?

Suppressing a shudder, Millie turned her attention back to the project, but something about one of the folders made her hesitate. For whatever reason, this incident was among those that Rico clearly considered memorable or important. She had a look at the date of the file.

It was the exact date that her younger brother Dylan had died.

* * *

The job was easy enough. Millie sat cross-legged on her laptop by the lounge, systematically shutting down cameras at the military base as required. She could only make them glitch for a few seconds before she knew someone would catch on, but she'd done enough in the way of petty theft to know that a few seconds of surveillance loss could make all the difference. They'd probably just think that their software was malfunctioning.

Hopefully.

Once the boys told her things were good, she'd fallen asleep at some point, woken by the sound of Craig's keys jingling in the lock. Closing her laptop and placing it on the coffee table, Millie groggily wondered if falling asleep everywhere was a pregnancy thing. She hadn't taken spontaneous naps around the place before. When Craig entered, she offered him a tired smile.

"How it'd go?"

"It went great." Craig walked over and kissed her cheek. "You were awesome. Smurf is just counting everything up and dividing it out, and then we're gonna go from there."

"Right." Millie nodded slowly. She knew that thousands suddenly appearing in bank accounts was suspicious, and that Smurf found ways to launder the money – typically through property that she owned.

"Cath's gone missing." Craig shrugged his shoulders as he peeled off his shirt, dumping it into the overloaded laundry basket. "Baz is wound up about it, but Smurf reckons she's run off or some shit."

"What do you think?" Millie asked, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. She hadn't known Catherine very well, and she hadn't really got the impression that Catherine approved of her. But Catherine just bailing didn't seem to make sense. Catherine adored Lena. She'd never just dump the kid with Baz and run.

"I don't know what to think." Craig sighed heavily, flopping on the lounge. "Can we just…not talk about this now? We did the job, we got the money, we should be celebrating."

"Yeah," Millie murmured.

"You okay?" Craig asked.

Millie nodded slowly. "Just tired. I fell asleep waiting. I might actually head to bed."

"Okay." Craig watched as she got to her feet, her bump extremely prominent. Usually he'd go to touch it, feel the baby kicking, but he seemed to get she wanted her own space. "I'll order some food when you're up."

* * *

It had been a stupid idea to copy the file onto a USB and bring it home to watch on her laptop, but Millie needed to know what was on that recording dated on the day of her brother's death. Her heart was racing as she clicked on the video footage. She was terrified of what she was going to see. But surely, if it was something Rico didn't want her to know, it wouldn't be among the files she had access to.

Millie knew the details of Dylan's death. He and his friend had been hit by an oncoming truck after they'd run a red light. The truck driver had been drinking and although he'd swerved to avoid them, it wasn't enough. Both Dylan and his friend had been killed. There had been no eyewitnesses, it had been close to 3am. There was only the surveillance footage – the footage Millie now found herself watching.

It was different, knowing what had happened and seeing it for herself. Tears were streaming down her eyes as she watched the truck collide with the car, but there was something that just didn't add up. She'd never been suspicious until now, until she realised that Rico's gang had access to the footage. Why would they need that, if it had been ruled an accident?

It was brutal to watch her brother die on repeat. She never got a clear view of him, and perhaps it helped. She didn't know what she would have done if she could see Dylan properly in the front of that car. Yet after a few times of watching the footage, she understood what the issue was.

It hadn't been Dylan and his friend running a red light at all. The light had been green. The truck driver had been the one to run the red light – and he hadn't even swerved. He'd just ploughed straight on through them.

It hadn't been an accident. It had been murder.


End file.
